Overview
Human chemistry is the study of reactions between people who are viewed as chemical species (or human particles) and with the energy, entropy, and work that quantify these processes. Historically, human chemistry derives from the 1809 chemical affinity theories of German polymath Johann Goethe who viewed intimate relationships as chemical reactions similar to those occurring between alchemical species in affinity tables. In modern human chemistry, people are viewed as chemical species, or specifically “human molecules” (a term coined by Hippolyte Taine in 1869), A or B, and processes such as marriage or divorce are viewed as chemical reactions between individuals, such as shown below, respectively:
A + B → AB (bond formation)
AB → A + B (bond dissolution)
Central to this process is the supposition of the existence of a human chemical bond, “A≡B”, that can be quantified by terms such as bond energy, bond length, enthalpy of formation, Gibbs free energy, etc. Human chemistry, to clarify, is a more advanced view on the take that good relationships are qualified by an “interpersonal chemistry” of compatible pheromones, hormones, immune systems, neurochemistry, and personalities, etc.
