This preference for the letters in our name exists because we write down our names thousands of times over our lifetime, so we are more familiar with those letters in the alphabet, and research shows the more familiar something is, the more we like it. Implicit egotism makes us attracted to people whose names are similar to our own: the relationship between Tom Cruise and Penelope Cruz.

Research shows time and again that the key factor in attraction is similarity - we are attracted to others that share our same values, level of education, past experiences and goals for the future. Essentially, we are trying to date ourselves.

Too little self-love, a.k.a. low self-esteem, is detrimental to ourselves, often resulting in depression and anxiety. But too much self-love leads to narcissism and is instead detrimental to those around us. Excessive self-love can help to explain our society's recent obsessions with plastic surgery, YouTube, Twitter, sexting, and social networking

websites.