The “orange peel theory” has been making waves across TikTok, and what young TikTok users do not know is that it has been around forever.
If you do not know what the “orange peel theory’ is, allow me to explain. The theory involves someone’s ability to understand their significant other and their feelings; it’s based on both people in the relationship’s tendencies to do simple tasks for the other without being asked.
Videos have popped up all over the social media platform with people in relationships urging their partners to peel oranges for them or, more generally, requesting help with something they are easily able to do themselves.
“The orange peel theory focuses on the idea that small acts of service are not just about the action itself but about what it represents in the relationship,” said Kate Truitt, a board-certified psychologist and applied neuroscientist. “They signal care, love and commitment, and the repetition of the act enhances the overall health and happiness of the relationship. These gestures, often simple and seemingly mundane, are in fact pivotal in nurturing a loving, supportive and enduring partnership.”
Georgina Sturmer, a registered counselor at the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, said that the trend is really a commentary on “the nuts and bolts of a relationship.”
Simple acts of service are a sign of a good relationship. If someone is not willing to do simple tasks for someone they claim to love, then that relationship probably is not doing well.
The “orange peel theory,” looks like many different things. For some, it is making dinner for their spouse before they get home. For some people, it is cleaning the house for when their spouse returns. These are tasks that are not a super big deal, but they show the love and care someone has for another.
To hear Tony Katz’s thoughts on the “orange peel theory” and the TikTok generation discovering it, click the link below.
