A lot of us know the notion of forbidden love, which is mostly portrayed in art through plays or writing. Forbidden love is a romantic interaction that happens between two people that is not condoned, is considered unethically and sometimes illegal in some states. These romantic relationships may be between family, friends or different societal or cultural backgrounds. These romantic conquests usually go against societal norms. Why do people pursue these kinds of relationships where it seems impossible to grow in love with your partner and what is involved in pursuing such conquests? People become drawn to forbidden love and relationships because of different reasons. Professionals in the field of psychology have found that "reactance", which is explained as the drive one has to regain something after they lost it or almost lost it, is part of the reason why forbidden love is pursued. Therefore, reactance is used to explain the heightened motivation that one has to pursue something after they have been prevented from attaining it. Moreover, it is believed by behavioral scientists that we tend to associate more value with things that require more effort to attain. Therefore, going against certain rules in pursuance of what you want will make the reward of attaining what you are pursuing even more valuable to us. Therefore, we become more willing to do whatever it takes to get our reward. In the technologically advanced world we live in, more people have access to witnessing different love ideals through television, the internet, or even reading. Forbidden love is a theme that is greatly explored by writers, both mainstream media and otherwise. The portrayal of this theme in the greatest plays like Romeo and Juliet, all the way to the current soapies and dramas, influence how people view and think about forbidden love. Seeing how romanticized these portrayals are can influence people both consciously and subconsciously to adopt the acceptance of forbidden love. The pursuit of forbidden love can also signal someone who has a fear of abandonment or commitment. There is a great possibility of these relationships not working out and this makes them the better and safer option instead of being in a relationship that one will be greatly invested in with hopes of working out. If these relationships do not work out, there is no surprise. Some people are more comfortable being in a relationship that has less chances of succeeding, which will not hurt as much or catch them off guard when they eventually fail. Someone who has a fear of abandonment or commitment prefers forbidden love because the ending is more predictable. Some people may prefer to go for forbidden love instead of normally accepted relationships because they prefer relationships that are risky and keep adrenaline pumping. In normal relationships, they may get bored easily. Therefore, they would rather go for risky relationships that give them a thrilling element. This may make forbidden love more exciting and enticing to these people. Pursuing forbidden love can potentially be unhealthy though. Some people may pursue forbidden love at the risk of losing healthy and stable relationships because they are clouded by the short-term thrill they are chasing. People may end up leaving long-term relationships for these intoxicating relationships that are forbidden. This leads to a lot of unhealthy relationships because these relationships normally do not last for long. People pursue forbidden love because of the elements of intoxicating adrenaline and danger associated with forbidden love. However, the repercussions may be  greater and have a lasting impact in our lives than the temporary pleasure that is experienced in these forbidden relationships. Families and relationships could be ruined for good, if it was involving a colleague we may ruin our reputation and lose jobs. People who are drawn to forbidden love may be struggling with feelings of shame considering the kind of forbidden love they are involved in. It is important though, that one understands the reasons behind their attraction to that specific relationship romantically. It is only through understanding the "why" that one can be able to get over something. If one is struggling with putting matters into perspective, it is always a good idea to see a professional.