If the energy of a bonding molecular orbital is lower than the atomic orbitals from which it formed, what does that imply about bond formation?

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When atoms form a bond, electrons occupy a bonding molecular orbital that lies lower in energy than the original atomic orbitals. This energy drop means the system becomes more stable and energy is released to the surroundings, so the process is exothermic. If the bonding orbital were higher in energy than the atomic orbitals, energy would have to be absorbed, making it endothermic. If there were no energy change, there would be no net stabilization to drive bond formation.