When it comes to love and relationships, most people focus on chemistry, compatibility, and communication. But there’s a deeper force quietly shaping how we connect with others — our attachment style . It influences how we behave in relationships, how we handle conflict, how much closeness we crave, and even how we respond to stress within our partnerships. If you’ve ever wondered why you keep choosing the same kind of partner, why you pull away when things get too intimate, or why you struggle to trust even when someone gives you no reason to doubt — your attachment style might be the missing piece of the puzzle. Let’s break it down. What Is an Attachment Style? Attachment styles are essentially patterns of how we bond with others, especially in close relationships. This concept originates from attachment theory , first introduced by British psychologist John Bowlby in the 1950s. Bowlby’s work, and later research by Mary Ainsworth, showed that the emotional bonds we form with ou...