Beneath the Surface: New Study Shows What Makes Love Last

A new study conducted by eHarmony shows that attraction is more than merely skin-deep. How do they know? A survey of over 598,000 users of eHarmony provides the details.

The online dating site that matches people on 29 dimensions reviewed the responses of over half a million users in order to derive its conclusions. Previously and never married alike, they examined member responses to questions about key qualities people look for in potential mates.

From the "never married" side of the fence, members frequently responded with desires for looks, passion and personality. On the contrary their previously married counterparts cited the most important qualities in a partner as values, emotional intimacy, conflict resolution skills and core beliefs.

So herein lies the question: are you focusing too much on what you find attractive and not enough on what ultimately makes relationships successful? Surely, there is a balance, but the study findings are likely substantiated by simply this: those who have had failed marriages understand why they failed and they're not looking to repeat the same mistakes in their next relationship. It's not to say that you should completely ignore the importance of physical attraction, but the study hints that there are other characteristics that may help create physical attraction as well. Knowing that you're with someone with similar goals and values that has a great set of communication skills will even stoke the fire of the hottest Hollywood couple. While we're not all magazine cover or runway material - we don't need to be. All we truly need is an understanding of what's important to us, both physically and emotionally, in a relationship.

When conducting your online dating searches, try adding another layer to your search. A fun picture with a great headline - give it a click! Read on and you might be surprised what you find. There's nothing like discovering a "buried treasure" in the online dating world, and even if you don't ultimately wind-up a match, it's likely you may end up with a great friend out of your efforts!

For more details on the study, read Money Control and to find out more about this dating service, read our review of eHarmony.