Can mutual self-disclosure and honesty help find you true love?

We all have opinions on what makes a relationship work. Some say self-confidence and strong will makes the difference. Others just want someone to go on adventures with and laugh. Different people have different needs but an unbreakable bond of trust might be the real key to a successful relationship.

A study published in 1997 by Dr. Arthur Aron explored the possibility that two complete strangers could fall in love by answering a set of 36 questions together. Answering is no easy task for participants. Each consecutive question demands more insight from their personal lives and experiences and range from “Would you like to be famous?,” to more serious topics dealing with family deaths and life regrets. The idea is that mutual self-disclosure can bring others closer together, despite differences.

Honesty through open dialogue and mutual self-disclosure helps create a sense of trust between two people. Trust facilitates comfort, inspires confidence and prevents distress in a relationship. It’s the foundation for a good relationship.

Unfortunately, for those still single, meeting others outside of a work or night life setting can prove to be difficult. Apps like Tinder have made meeting others outside of a close circle much easier but have their own pitfalls. Without much to consider other than a picture or two, dating apps can create a sense of distrust quickly.

I set out to solve this problem in the dating app I spent the last year creating. It’s called “Sapio,” short for “Sapiosexual,” a word meaning “Attracted to the mind.”

Sapio puts physical and intellectual appeal on equal footing. Because looks and personality should both be part of the attraction equation.

With its unique question and answer system, users answer fascinating questions, ranging from playful to profound and are rewarded for revealing facets of their personalities. Their open-ended answers are a window into how they think — and who they are.

That’s how you find people — Sapio’s “Question Explorer” shows how other users have answered the questions you and they find most meaningful. You can filter out others who don’t match your dating needs and find those who do quickly.

Sapio is about connecting with people that are actually worth talking to and starting conversations that are actually worth having.

It’s the first of many apps providing a remedy for the insidious and detrimental effects of debasing hookup apps.

It’s available in NYC now and expanding soon to Boston and Miami.

Get Sapio for iOS Here