Conflict in neurodiverse relationships is not just about who left the cap off the toothpaste or who forgot to text back—it’s often a clash of different operating systems.

Imagine an Apple computer trying to communicate with a Windows PC, except these computers love each other and share a mortgage.

That’s where the Gottman Institute’s research (Gottman & Gottman, 2017) comes in, offering science-backed insights into how couples with different neurotypes can bridge the great divide of misunderstanding.

Love is never one-size-fits-all.

Add neurodivergence into the mix, and you have a relationship that requires a level of customization akin to ordering the perfect coffee at an overcomplicated café—“I’d like a double-shot, oat milk, half-caf, extra-foam, three-pump lavender latte with a hint of cinnamon.”

For neurodiverse couples, traditional therapy models often feel equally mismatched.

However, Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)—is a therapeutic model that doesn’t dwell on fixing deficits but instead helps couples harness their strengths.

A case study applying this approach to a neurodiverse couple over twelve sessions revealed remarkable improvements in communication and emotional awareness.

However, their individual journeys toward relationship satisfaction varied, underscoring the need for personalized therapeutic approaches that account for each partner’s distinct experiences.

Modern love is becoming exceedingly complicated.

Add neurodivergence into the mix, and you have a dynamic, sometimes bewildering, but often deeply fulfilling relationship experience.

One trend bubbling up in neurodiverse communities is the preference for neurodivergent partners—an inclination that might just be backed by both lived experience and research.

But is it always the best choice? And what does science have to say? Let’s dive in.

Blending a family is an art form, one that requires patience, resilience, and a willingness to start over—again and again. If that sounds exhausting, meet Tetsugen Dōkō, a 17th-century Zen monk who mastered the art of persistence long before step-parenting was a thing.

Tetsugen had one dream: to print the entire Buddhist sutras in Japanese so that ordinary people could read them. This was no small feat. Printing in the 1600s was the equivalent of launching a tech start-up today—expensive, complicated, and requiring years of fundraising.

So, Tetsugen did what any ambitious monk would do: he hit the road, persuading samurai, merchants, and farmers to donate to his cause. After years of effort, he finally raised enough money. But before he could begin printing, Japan was hit by a massive flood, leaving thousands homeless. Without hesitation, he gave away all the money to disaster relief.

No problem. He started over.

In an era dominated by Limbic Capitalism—a system designed to hijack our brain’s pleasure circuits for profit—and cultural narcissism, where personal branding and social clout reign supreme, Burning Man offers a radical alternative.

The 10 Principles of Burning Man are not just guidelines; they are a direct pushback against these modern forces, fostering a communal, decommodified, and deeply human experience.

Let’s explore how each principle serves as an antidote to the excesses of contemporary society.

Welcome to your inlaw’s emotional silverware drawer—where everyone’s a fork, but somehow all the tines are tangled together: What is an enmeshed family?

If you’ve ever felt like your in-laws operate like an exclusive club where membership requires full disclosure of your innermost thoughts and the ability to cancel all personal plans at a moment’s notice, congratulations! You’ve married into an enmeshed family system.

Coined by family therapy legend Salvador Minuchin, enmeshment describes a family dynamic where boundaries are non-existent, autonomy is considered treason, and personal decisions require committee approval. Love is abundant, but so is guilt—so much guilt.

Welcome to the future, where love is no longer bound by the constraints of carbon-based life forms.

If you've ever wished your partner came with a mute button or could be upgraded every six months, AI companionship may be the answer to your oddly specific prayers.

With advancements in artificial intelligence, some individuals are exploring relationships with AI partners—romantic, emotional, and sometimes even physical (I’ll let you Google that one yourself).

These AI companions can engage in conversations, provide emotional support, and never forget an anniversary. They don’t snore, they don’t leave dishes in the sink, and they certainly won’t break up with you over text.

But what does it say about modern romance when some people would rather whisper sweet nothings to a chatbot than engage in the messiness of human relationships?

Is this an evolutionary leap in intimacy, or have we collectively given up on each other?

Narcissists: the self-absorbed, the masters of self-promotion, the ones who bring their own spotlight to the party and then complain when no one applauds.

They’re the villains in every “toxic relationships” article and the goldmine of pop psychology content.

But what if, beneath the grandiosity and the humble-bragging, narcissists are actually lonely?

What if, despite all their peacocking, they feel left out more often than the average person?

New research suggests exactly that.

A recent study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (Büttner et al., 2024) has found that people with narcissistic traits experience more social exclusion than their less self-absorbed peers.

Not only do they feel left out, but they often are left out.

And, as it turns out, this rejection fuels their narcissism further, locking them into a behavioral doom loop worthy of its own Greek tragedy—or at least a well-placed sitcom subplot.

Modern dating has found a way to make even more people uncomfortable—by broadcasting personal romantic experiences to the world in real time.

Welcome to Date With Me, the latest trend where singles document their dating lives online for public consumption. Think of it as a fusion between reality television, influencer culture, and a desperate cry for accountability.

I

n this trend, people share everything—from first date nerves to post-date recaps—through TikToks, Instagram stories, or full-fledged YouTube vlogs.

Some participants even live-stream their dates, ensuring an eager audience can watch the awkward silences unfold in real time.

It’s radical transparency, but with the added bonus of audience engagement metrics. Who wouldn’t want strangers voting on their romantic compatibility like it’s a bad episode of The Bachelor?

Just you, your date, and an audience of thousands waiting to see if they’ll mispronounce "charcuterie."

Modern dating has abandoned the ideal of finding a "perfect" partner.

Instead, it has fully embraced the beautiful disaster that is human attraction, where quirks, eccentricities, and borderline bizarre obsessions aren’t just tolerated—they’re the foundation of connection.

Enter freak matching, the latest dating trend that takes the phrase "there’s someone for everyone" to new and occasionally unsettling heights.

What Is Freak Matching?

Freak matching is the idea that the very traits that make you undateable to most people are precisely what make you irresistible to the right person.

In essence, freak matching is dating Darwinism at its finest—survival of the quirkiest.

Spending hours glued to our smartphones has become second nature.

But new research suggests that taking a break from mobile internet could be the mental refresh we all need.

A study published in PNAS Nexus found that blocking mobile internet access for just two weeks led to increased happiness, better mental health, and improved focus.

Love is a battlefield, but before you even get to the trenches, there’s a bigger question: Are you ready for a serious relationship?

If you think the answer lies deep in your attachment style, the latest research suggests you might want to reconsider.

According to a new study in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships (Yang et al., 2024), your friends—yes, those meddling, opinionated, and brutally honest people—might actually be better at assessing your commitment readiness than you are.

Even more intriguing?

While Attachment Theory still dominates pop-psychology discourse, newer models of relationship psychology suggest our ability to commit isn’t as neatly dictated by childhood experiences as once thought.