Utkarsh NarangFounder, IgnitedNeurons · Your best doers become your worst managers as you scale. I turn them into leaders so your best people don’t leave.

Which stage of the relationship are you in? #podcast #connection

9 Jun 2026 · 1 min

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In this podcast monologue, the speaker outlines a three‑stage model of romantic relationships, focusing on the first stage called "new relationship energy" (NRE). He explains that NRE is driven by a surge of brain chemicals—especially dopamine—making the early phase intensely rewarding and addictive, likening it to crack cocaine and describing it as nature’s mechanism to promote procreation. This chemically‑fueled high typically lasts between six and eighteen months, after which the neurochemical boost fades. The speaker then notes that once the dopamine rush subsides, partners begin to see each other more realistically, and the "real relationship" starts, marking the transition to later stages.

Chapters

There are basically 3 stages of relationships. The first stage is new relationship energy. So that's when you first meet somebody and you fall in love and you just want to spend all the time with each other and have sex all the time. And that is very driven by brain chemicals, by hormones, right? By dopamine, like, just flooding your system. We know dopamine is like crack cocaine. It's like Very, very, very addictive. And I always say it is like Mother Nature's way of ensuring that procreation continues in our species. But it ends after a period of time, like generally 6 to 12, maybe 18 months at the outset. Those, those chemicals no longer are there, and you're like, oh my God, who are you for real? And all of the little things that were so adorable and cute start to get annoying, right? Like, as I say, the real relationship starts at that point.