Yes, it is possible to have one-sided chemistry. Sometimes the person you feel a connection to might not feel the same way about you. It might take time and effort on their part to build a connection.
It's a mutual feeling of intense attraction, a magnetic pull that draws them together, and a deep understanding of one another. It's a feeling of being completely present and connected, with a sense of familiarity that is hard to explain.
There is that special spark, that special something, that people feel when there is chemistry, and it happens on both sides. There are times when people sometimes build chemistry or develop chemistry over time as they get to know each other.
People who share intense chemistry signs know almost right away the feeling is mutual, but continue to flirt to keep the connection going.
If you're wondering if your attraction to someone is mutual, there are some possible signs of mutual attraction that you can look for. As mentioned in the article above, signs of mutual attraction can include frequent communication, physical touch, prolonged eye contact, mirroring, blushing, and flirtatious behavior.
An immediate spark can actually mean very little in the grand scheme of a relationship. In fact, sometimes a spark right off the bat can actually be "dangerous" or even a red flag, according to Hinge's Director of Relationship Science, Logan Ury, author of How to Not Die Alone.
The short answer
It happens sometimes that people feel the same connection you do, but it's not guaranteed. Chances are, while you're hitting it off with someone, they are having a great time, as well, but that's not always the case.
Chemistry is born of several different factors like physical attraction, mental stimulation, shared values and interests. The list goes on.
Don't panic if that intense initial attraction wanes over time — it can be recharged. “Chemistry with a long-term partner can fade,” Dr. Lehmiller says.
Intense chemistry is never one-sided
It is an entirely unconscious phenomenon between two people. You cannot pretend to have it. It's either there or it's not. There is no in-between.
Strong chemistry between a man and woman is a feeling of intense attraction felt by both the man and woman. In many cases, these feelings are accompanied by the desire to be intimate with themselves, spend more time together, and even commit to something bigger (sometimes).
One clear sign a man is emotionally connected to you is when he truly cares for you. When you reciprocate his feelings, there is a better chance of him getting emotionally attached. He also tries to show his romantic side in his way. He might do it by talking to you for hours or taking long walks with you.
Intense romantic chemistry is hard to cover no matter how much you try. If the connection between two people is really strong, then yes, other people can sense the chemistry between them.
Infatuation is a product of neurochemistry. The emotional tumult of an intense crush comes from the combination of dopamine-driven reward, noradrenaline-driven arousal, and hormonally-driven bonding. Those wonderful feelings of giddy highs when they smile at us, laugh at our jokes, show interest in us and seem to care?
Movies try to convince us we'll feel this way forever, but the intense romance has an expiration date for everyone. Expect the passion to last two to three years at most, says Dr. Fred Nour, a neurologist in Mission Viejo, California, and author of the book “True Love: How to Use Science to Understand Love.”
You Can Feel It
This one is probably a no-brainer; when someone is attracted to you, they want to touch you. Touch releases the bonding hormone oxytocin. So, it is an instinctive way of trying to strengthen your connection. However, not all touches mean the same thing.
This feeling is what we usually call chemistry between people, or "the spark"—a twinkle in the eye, a skipped heartbeat, or flushed cheeks that indicate two people are truly connecting.
Three dates is a good rule of thumb.
This isn't a hard and fast rule, but let's say you spend two to three hours together on each date, with some emailing, texting, or phone time in between. That's a pretty fair amount of time together. If you're not feeling any sense of chemistry or attachment, it's OK to give up.
If someone gets really interested in you too soon and tries to get close too fast, wave the red flag. If they ask you questions about everything that has happened in your life, you may feel as though they are just really interested and want to get to know you.
Using fMRI brain imaging, Aron's studies have shown that “if you're thinking about a person you're intensely in love with, your brain activates the dopamine reward system, which is the same system that responds to cocaine,” he told Mental Floss in 2018.
When you feel an attraction that is too intense, it often means that you are responding to the sense that you need to consume that person entirely now, because they may slip through your fingers at a moment's notice.
Over time, the head-over-heels chemistry felt during the limerence phase may fade, but in a strong relationship, chemistry remains over time. It may not appear as intense as during the honeymoon phase, but it is possible for relationship chemistry to last for a lifetime.