Can peeling an orange indicate true love? TikTok seems to think so. A trend dubbed the “Orange Peel Theory” has been going viral on the social media platform, asking people to consider the ways small acts of service, such as peeling an orange for a partner or making coffee in the morning, can show an individual’s commitment to their relationship. At the time of going to press, videos tagged with the #orangepeeltheory have been viewed over 27 million times.
What is the orange peel theory?
The orange peel theory suggests that the small acts of service, and a partner’s willingness to perform them, indicate a healthy relationship.
“If someone asks you to peel their orange you might think, ‘They’re perfectly capable of doing that themselves, that's not a big deal,’” said TikToker @neanotmia in a breakdown of the trend. “It might not literally be about peeling the orange. They’re asking you for a small favor to see your reaction, to see if later they can ask you for bigger favors. How are you going to make them feel when they ask you for that help?”
“Their response is indicative of much bigger things than just merely peeling an orange,” said TikTok user Anna Birmingham in a post about the trend. “Even a super tiny thing like that reveals so much about their attitude towards you and your relationship.”
Birmingham notes that acts of service, regardless of how small they might be, are simply about expressing kindness without any conditions or expectations. “[It’s about] wanting to do things for someone to see them happy even if it inconveniences you, or even if there’s nothing in it for you,” she said in her video. “That, at the end of the day, is true, raw, unconditional love.”
When did it become a TikTok trend?
The trend is believed to have begun with a TikTok slideshow featuring a text exchange from a former couple reminiscing about their relationship. "I miss when you would peel my oranges for me in the morning," one text read, as the person explained that, when they try to do it themselves, they "still get juice all over and stab my nails too deep."
The text exchange ends with the message, "I peeled my orange today," delivered in green after a stream of blue messages, indicating that the sender had been blocked. The video has been viewed over 2.5 million times since it was first posted at the beginning of November.
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Since then, many users have jumped on the trend to share the kind ways their partners have brightened their days. In one, a baker showed a video of her boyfriend surprising her with pre-separated egg whites, after she had complained to him that she had been struggling with the task due to her long nails.
“It was honestly just a little rant that I didn’t think he paid much attention to,” she wrote in a caption over a video of the surprise, “But he saw me! Never thought egg whites would make me cry.”
Others note that the theory is applicable to any relationship—not just romantic ones. “Everyday after school my six-year-old asks me to carry his backpack in the house for him and I always enthusiastically will after learning about the orange peel theory,” one parent shared.
FAQs
What is the orange peel theory? The orange peel theory suggests that the small acts of service, and a partner's willingness to perform them, indicate a healthy relationship.
What is the orange peel theory on TikTok? ›
To peel an orange for someone, unprompted, is to actively show you want to care for them and share, especially if the person handing the orange to you is perfectly capable of peeling the orange themselves. It's big "Acts of Service" love language energy, of course.
What does the orange peel theory mean? ›
The gist: If your partner strips the rind off the citrus and serves it to you with kindness, then their love is for real. If your partner refuses, then this love is hollow and false, and you must now make a deal with a sea witch or reenter the dating pool.
What is the orange theory on TikTok? ›
The orange peel trend is said to be a good indicator of a healthy and strong relationship so social media users have been are putting the theory to the test to see if their significant other makes the cut!
What does peeling your orange mean on TikTok? ›
It refers to a relationship “test” many couples are using to gauge the strength of their partnership. The challenge calls for participants to ask their partner to peel an orange for them. If their significant other says yes, that means they are willing to help with small tasks.
What is the orange peel test theory? ›
The idea runs thus: if your partner loves you, they will perform small tasks for you that you are perfectly capable of doing yourself, almost as an act of service. One such task being, for example, peeling an orange for you, because you don't like doing it.
What is the orange peel analogy? ›
It originated in a slideshow of screenshots between exes, one of whom reminisces how “I miss when you would peel my oranges for me in the morning”. There is some sense to this analysis, since the smallest of acts carry a lot of weight in relationships whilst grand gestures can sometimes feel performative.
What is the orange peel concept? ›
In a recent video, TikToker @neanotmia explained the theory as the ability to discern how much you can trust your partner by seeing how they react to you asking them to do a small task you could easily do yourself — like peeling an orange.
What is the orange peel meme? ›
A viral TikTok trend called the “Orange Peel Theory” claims that true love is measured by small acts of service (like peeling an orange, unprompted) for a partner. The trend has made its way to sh*tposting heaven, Twitter/X, and they've made a pulp of it.
What is the orange peel problem? ›
Orange peel is a paint defect that occurs during the formation of the film of the paint, characterized for presenting an appearance similar to that of an orange peel. This paint defect occurs mainly in spray gun applications. CAUSES: Insufficient paint dilution.
What is EPOC? The physiological theory behind the Orangetheory workout is known as “Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption,” or EPOC.
What is the orange peel theory in one day? ›
02/6Orange Peel Theory
According to it, a person can test their partner's love by asking them to do something as simple as peeling an orange for them. If their partner agrees and does this, it shows that they are loved. But in case the partner refuses, it means that the relationship is doomed.
What does 🍊 stand for? ›
Officially depicting a tangerine, a type of mandarin (mikan in Japan). Often used as a garden-variety orange. Either way, a good source of vitamin C.
Why is it called the orange peel theory? ›
The psychology behind the Orange Peel Theory has been linked to love languages - specifically Acts of Service. It's related to the idea that your partner wants to do this act of service for you just because they care about you. They know you want an orange, so they want to make it easy for you to enjoy one.
What is the orange test for boyfriends? ›
Several different tests have trended this year. One of the most popular is the orange peel “theory” (we use the word very lightly here), in which the tester tells their partner they feel like eating an orange. Some partners simply acknowledge the comment, while others actually go and get an orange.
What is the orange peel method in relationships? ›
The Orange Peel Theory is from a viral TikTok trend where you ask your partner to bring you an orange. If they bring it to you peeled and ready to eat, it indicates that they're thoughtful and caring. If they bring it to you with the rind still on, then they may not be as considerate as you were hoping.
