Is it normal to have romantic feelings for someone besides your spouse? 15% of married adults have
And 29% of Americans have had a crush on a friend’s significant other
Unrequited love – a classic trope for many a melodrama or Victorian romance. But this theme is not strictly for the pages of heart-wrenching novels and tear-jerker films. In fact, recent YouGov data shows that 23% of Americans, including 15% of married adults, have romantic feelings for someone they are not currently romantically involved with.
Similarly, developing feelings for a friend’s significant other can be a difficult, often awkward, situation – 29% of of Americans have been in this predicament, and one in ten men currently are. Similarly, 30% of US adults have found themselves with feelings for a friend that extend past the platonic.
Falling head over heels for someone is in itself an emotional rollercoaster, but doing so while already in a relationship complicates the situation exponentially. 36% of Americans have, at one point during their life, been dating someone while harboring lustful feelings towards someone else.
And there is, of course, no guarantee that romantic feelings will be returned. Data shows that Americans are no strangers to rejection—35% have faced this cruel fate, including 41% of men. Sometimes, even after romantic protestations are turned down, it is hard to let go: 32% of US adults have pursued an ex-boyfriend/girlfriend in hopes of reconciliation.
