Midlife Perspectives on Falling in Love: The Dialectic of Unique Experiences

This study explores the constructed meanings of falling in love in midlife. In depth interviews were conducted with 12 participants, all of whom had experienced falling in love in midlife. Analysis of the interview data suggest that midlife forms the prism through which the experience of falling in love is perceived: it provides the context, colors the experience, and characterizes its unique nature. The uniqueness is created primarily through dialectic between affirmations (compatibility with the notion of love) and negations (contrasting experiences).