A few years ago, our colleague Faith Hill reported on what psychologists call the "Michelangelo phenomenon" - the idea that romantic partners mold each other over time. "Some researchers have found that when that happens, the art tends to look conspicuously like the artist," she wrote. So, apparently, love is not just blind; it's also a sculptor with a very specific aesthetic.

Researchers aren't in agreement about why exactly people in relationships become more alike as time goes on. Couples might also just imagine that they're becoming alike, as Faith notes; we'd prefer to think that a long-term partner is developing in the same ways that we are, even if that's not entirely true. Because nothing says 'healthy relationship' like a shared delusion.

Whatever the precise explanation, the fact that partners can begin to resemble each other is a reminder of the power of love to change us - not just to change our lives, but to actually alter who we are at our core. Today's newsletter rounds up stories about how relationships of all kinds can influence your personality.

Couples' personalities can become more similar over time - but the causes are still enigmatic. (From 2024) The Personality Trait That Makes People Feel Comfortable Around You: People with positive "affective presence" are easy to be around and oil the gears of social interactions. (From 2019) People Seek Out a Certain Kind of Person When They Are Happy: Your mood might have a big influence on the type of companionship you want. (From 2019)

We also asked readers to share a photo of something that sparks their sense of awe in the world. "Every day for the last month this beautiful monarch butterfly has been visiting my balcony garden," Maureen T., 76, from Toronto, writes. "I sit and watch and wonder at its beauty. I even named him Fred." We'll continue to feature your responses in the coming weeks, because nothing says awe like a butterfly named Fred.