Merely contemplating a breakup can create the stress and fear of the real thing. When college freshmen in love were asked to predict how upset they’d be, and for how long, if their partner ended the relationship, those who described themselves as more in love, unlikely to begin a new romance, and didn’t want the breakup significantly overestimated how bad they would feel and for how long. This is undoubtedly why some people choose to remain in a relationship after some transgression by one of the partners.
