Being separated from someone you love makes you appreciate and miss them more.
This phrase was first recorded by English writer Thomas Haynes Bayly in the 1840s, though the sentiment appears in earlier literature. It became a popular way to express how physical separation can intensify emotional attachment, often used to comfort those in long-distance relationships or temporary separations.
Psychologists have found this phrase is only half-true - absence makes the heart grow fonder only if the relationship was already strong. For weak relationships, the saying "out of sight, out of mind" proves more accurate. The phrase works because it validates the pain of separation while promising it serves a positive purpose!
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