"CP" instead of dating? Contemporary young people: It's all dopamine that makes us "high"

Do you often smile unconsciously at the two people on the screen? Do you feel like the whole space is filled with pink bubbles when you see two people looking at each other affectionately and interacting lovingly?

If so, then congratulations, you are already on the road of CP.

Nowadays, the combinations of CPs are becoming more and more diverse.

Not only real idol CPs, TV series CPs, love variety show CPs, but even workplace variety shows can have CPs. Regardless of the original work, time and space, or nationality, if you dare to think of it, I dare to match it.

As long as you are brave, you are not afraid of Voldemort and Lin Meimei↓

What is CP?

CP, usually refers to pairing (English name: Coupling, Japanese name: カップリング), a popular Internet term, originated from the Japanese ACGN fan circle.

Originally it refers to fan pairings with romantic relationships. In animations or film and television works, fans will also pair up the characters in the film into same-sex or opposite-sex couples.

Contemporary young people's attitude towards love

How many people believe that true love is as vast as the grassland, but in real life they panic about love.

It seems that CPs in fan fiction would go through fire and water for each other, but they say goodbye to the person they love in real life.

The Weibo topic #Contemporary young people’s attitude towards love# has sparked a lot of discussion among netizens.

The comments "I was really scared after being hurt and I dare not accept other people's love easily" and "I'm single not because I don't want to fall in love, but because no one wants me" received high praise. At the same time, "When it comes to love, it depends on how good other people's love is" was also highly praised.

Obviously, in real life, having a relationship requires considering many practical factors, so some people are more willing to put aside their sensitivity and guard and enjoy the sense of security brought by CP.

The cost of CP investment is also lower.

Sweet enough, no money spent. Good relationship, no need to look for. Good looks, you can choose. If you want to have sex, you can have sex. You won’t lose money if you invest. You can make money for sure!

Why can shipping a couple replace dating?

Freud classified human instincts into two categories: "life instinct" and "death instinct".

People's instincts all expect the direct satisfaction of desires, and when this is not allowed, these instinctive desires will be displaced and eventually sublimated to a higher spiritual level.

When people are engaged in imaginative activities at the spiritual level, they can find alternative objects that can satisfy their desires through fantasy, that is, "daydreaming".

Freud's psychoanalytic psychology explains the theory of "substitute satisfaction".

In the process of searching for desire, when the initial object is blocked, it will be transferred to other objects; if it is blocked again, it will be transferred again, until a substitute object that can eliminate tension and satisfy desire is found, which is "substitute satisfaction".

Photo of Floyd, source: Wikipedia

Just like a person who is losing weight, watching food shows can satisfy his desire to eat. CP is also satisfying the needs and yearnings of CP fans for a good relationship.

The interaction between the CPs is pleasing to the eyes, and with the secondary creations made by video editing, illustrators and writers, they are like-minded and sympathetic in a parallel universe. Even if thousands of people try to stop me, I will stay by your side. Even if the whole world opposes me, I will never retreat.

CP fans empathize with him/her and are moved by the purity, depth, two-way commitment and fearlessness in it.

Real life is complicated, and such a beautiful relationship is hard to come by.

CP builds a bridge between the barren reality and the beautiful aspirations.

"What I'm supporting is not the CP, but the love in my heart." So no matter whether the CP is real or not, the happiness and touching moments it brings to CP fans are real.

Why do people get so addicted to CP?

This brings us to a mysterious yet familiar term - dopamine.

In 1954, American psychologists Olds and Milner discovered in animal experiments that applying weak electric shocks to the septum and inferior colliculus of the limbic system could induce pleasant emotions.

The part of the brain that can produce self-stimulatory behavior has been found in cats, dogs, monkeys and humans. This is the pleasure center, which is the part of the brain associated with producing pleasant emotions. Some people believe that dopamine is the cause of pleasant feelings.

Dopamine chemical formula, source Wikipedia

In addition, scientific research has also shown that dopamine is related to various addictive behaviors. When the brain foresees that a certain behavior will bring pleasure, it will secrete dopamine, making the body feel anticipation and desire. Once the body receives the signal, it will actively perform the behavior.

Carrying out couple relationships will make our brains secrete dopamine and bring happiness.

In 2005, a study published in the Journal of Neurophysiology showed that male mice secreted more dopamine when they saw mating female mice than when they actually mated. In other words, it is the pursuit process rather than the result that stimulates dopamine secretion.

The endless feeling of being addicted to CP comes from the process of making this relationship "real" through our imagination, and dopamine plays an indispensable role in this process.

And when we want to experience this kind of happiness again, we will repeat this action - CP. Life is already so difficult, who would refuse happiness?

No matter "the truth is true" or "the truth is false", no matter "it is true" or "it is hard to accept", I hope you and I can harvest sweet "love" by supporting CP.

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Come on Wang Shiyue and Liu Xinyu at the Winter Olympics!

END

Reviewer: Sun Tao, psychological counselor.

Tadpole Musical Notation original article

Editor/Xiao Xitushuo