The Oxford English Dictionary defines the word ‘intimacy’ as “the state of having a close personal relationship with somebody.” In other words, the closeness between people in personal relationships is what could be termed as ‘intimacy’. It’s something that builds over time as you connect with someone, grow to care about each other, and feel more and more comfortable during your time together. Moreover, intimacy can include physical or emotional closeness or a mix of two.

However, have you ever heard that there are levels of intimacy? In his book, Australian motivational speaker and business consultant Matthew Kelly has written about the seven levels of intimacy everyone must know about. Here is a look at them.