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It’s a love story, baby, just say yes.
These words close out the chorus of Taylor Swift’s hit song, “Love Story,” but they also reflect America’s general obsession with Swift, the closest thing to a real couple and four-time Grammy-winning album of the year. and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
The couple, who started dating last year, has accompanied us in their whirlwind romance. From very public kisses (even after the Chiefs beat the ’49ers in Sunday’s Super Bowl) to changing song lyrics (“Karma is the Chiefs’ guy”), some might call you Scrooge for not even smile slightly at the super couple.
“The perfect ending to this romantic comedy “We’ve been watching it on live TV,” one Instagram user wrote of Swift and Kelce’s post-Super Bowl kiss. The Telegraph called it “ending of a fairy tale“.
![February 11, 2024: Travis Kelce #87 of the Kansas City Chiefs kisses Taylor Swift after defeating the San Francisco 49ers 2 during Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.](https://www.usatoday.com/gcdn/authoring/authoring-images/2024/02/12/USAT/72567579007-gty-2004233242.jpg?width=300&height=373&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
When happy couples like them hold hands, kiss, do heart hands and even more so, people on the sidelines form opinions about their interactions. Some are positive and supportive. But often people judge and have negative thoughts while watching a happy couple be, well, happy. Because?
Experts say your vision of happy couples, like Swift and Kelce, can reveal a lot more about you than the couple in question.
“Our tendency to be happy for others or to feel jealous is strongly related to how we experience our lives and relationships in the present.” Miranda Nadeaua licensed psychologist previously told USA TODAY.
Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce and finding joy in ‘Swelce’
Maybe you’re one of those people who can’t stop gushing about Swelce or a couple closer to home.
“The way people react to seeing the joy and happiness of others is very revealing.” maryanne fisher, a psychology professor at St. Mary’s University in Canada previously told USA TODAY. “Some people are really happy to see the happiness of others (including celebrities).” You may feel “freudenfreude” or “a vicarious experience of another person’s joy; think of the opposite of schadenfreude, where one takes pleasure in another person’s misfortunes,” adds Fisher.
If you’re a Swiftie, you might feel this more pronounced. “The effect is likely to increase when we feel a connection to the person involved, which fans can certainly experience with celebrities,” Fisher says. “This sharing of joy has all kinds of positive effects; It makes us believe that things are positive and good and, consequently, reduces stress and the associated hormone cortisol.”
Are you ‘unconsciously projecting’?
On the other hand: do you feel bitter?
It’s easy to see yourself in other people, especially when they’re as famous as Swift and Kelce, who probably don’t have any connections in your life beyond the parasocial. Maybe you’re a Swiftie, but you’re in one of your sad girl periods.
“Many people may be unconsciously projecting” Cecilia Ahrens, a licensed clinical social worker previously told USA TODAY. “We often project our fears and desires onto the world. We also tend to displace our feelings, our unmet needs, and our grievances onto the wrong people. (Swift and Kelce) are great targets for these defense mechanisms.”
Oooh:Taylor Swift is in her Red Era when the Chiefs win the Super Bowl in overtime and she and Travis kiss on the field
Or maybe it’s not so serious
It’s possible to oscillate between feelings (starting to accept others’ love stories even when you’re jealous), although adjusting your thinking is easier said than done. “Still, we can deepen our sense of what we have in our lives and grow our abundance mindset by practicing gratitude,” Nadeau says. “Feeling a deep appreciation for what we already have helps us also want the best for others.”
Your feelings may also not indicate any kind of deeper trauma that you need to overcome.
“Someone who doesn’t really care about someone might just think it’s nice to see happy people and leave it at that,” Fisher says. “Also, we must remember that it can also mean that they didn’t really like the person to begin with, and the change of events has simply given them a way to express this displeasure. It’s hard to believe, but not everyone is a Swiftie.”
Look:Taylor Swift ‘apparently’ drinks her beer as 2024 Super Bowl crowd cheers