Taxi cab theory

WKND wants to know if you believe it’s true. 

One week into college, and I was already witnessing the beginning of a love epidemic — though a superficial one. Perhaps it’s the contempt within me that makes me view love so negatively, but I’ve never understood how people who barely know each other could so confidently believe they’ve found their true love. While plenty are allergic to the word commitment, just as many rush to merge their lives together, etching their partner’s username onto Instagram stories as if branding their affection for the world to see.

Perhaps it’s this false sense of urgency — the pressure to find the perfect Yusband or Yife — that compels us to fast-track our distorted view of love. We look ahead, envisioning our ideal person, and with 6,000 undergrads at our fingertips, it’s easy to convince ourselves they must be here somewhere. First-year relationships rarely end well, but maybe it’s not just about circumstance — maybe it’s about timing.

Until I heard about the taxi cab theory, I never thought of love as something so elusive, so dependent on readiness rather than fate. I always held onto the idea that I’d naturally meet the one, that love would unfold effortlessly. What ever happened to simple, old-fashioned love — the kind that wasn’t dictated by timing but by pure connection? The subtle glances exchanged during lecture and the brief contact when you brush past each other on the crowded walk toward Science Hill — it all depends on the right moment rather than the right person.  

So instead, you’re left with your bare-minimum soulmate, someone you chose not because of an undeniable connection but because the timing was right. There are small things about them that tick you but it isn’t enough to make you think that they aren’t right for you. After all, you’re ready for a relationship and they just happened to be there too.

With no specific destination in mind, this theory encourages exploring your options rather than waiting idly for the perfect moment. It suggests that love isn’t about finding the perfect person, but about being ready when they arrive. And in that sense, many Yale undergrads are unknowingly participating. While many long for the simplicity of love that happens by chance, just as many are eager to rush into a college relationship that feels “good enough.” A friend of mine constantly talks about how she yearns to be in a relationship. The moment she feels the slightest spark of interest in someone, she jumps at the chance to lock it down — as if readiness alone justifies love. But why wait for the perfect person when the longing for a relationship is sufficient? 

I, for one, think that there may be some truth behind this theory. As my first-year college experience goes on, I’m recognizing a certain thrill that can’t be found elsewhere. But I find it difficult to differentiate between what I’m genuinely interested in versus what I want to explore. With new people, new experiences, and a new normal, there’s so much unfamiliarity, and I want to just experience it all. Maybe the taxi cab theory is another way to do that — take love by the reins and see where it goes, without worrying too much about the final destination. There’s comfort in companionship, in finding someone to navigate this whirlwind of change with. Many first-year relationships form quickly and fizzle out just as fast because they are built on timing, not depth.

Still, there’s something to be said for embracing what’s in front of you. The taxi cab theory isn’t about settling — it’s about movement. Life doesn’t wait for certainty, and sometimes taking a chance on something, even if it’s fleeting, is worthwhile. Whether in love or in life, the experience itself is what matters.