The Factors Which Determine the Successfulness of Relationships
Relationships are never easy. There are always hurt feelings, angry emotions, and betrayal lurking in any relationship. People who are in relationships often work through these issues together, and form even stronger bonds. It is no wonder that relationships have been studied and researched for years. In fact, the field of psychology has been especially dedicated to studying relationships. As such, there have been many explanations as to what happens in a relationship during its course.
Generally speaking, a romantic relationship is a interpersonal relation that involves emotional and/or physical intimacy. However, this definition is somewhat narrow. A romantic relationship can involve same sex relationships as well as opposite-sex relationships. It can also involve a long term romantic relationship or a short term fling. While a romantic relationship typically involves high values, commitment, trust, and honesty, all of these traits can be found in friendships, too. However, while friendships are most often enjoyable, they do have their own complexities and this complexity is what leads to relationships breaking down.
A solid, positive relationship is one where two people share the same values and together they learn to trust and respect each other. A positive relationship is not based on any one variable; rather, it is built on shared values, commitment, trust, and honesty. On the other hand, a negative relationship is one where people only share the negative aspects of the relationship. People in negative relationships generally find themselves unhappy, lonely, and divorced.
The level of intimacy in a relationship varies greatly depending on the type of relationship. Most casual dating relationships, such as friendship relationships, are characterized by open and comfortable interpersonal communication. However, these types of relationships are less likely to include sex. On the other hand, adult intimate relationships are more likely to include sex, but also include more formal and elaborate interactions. This difference between the two types of relationships is probably the most significant predictor of the success of each type of relationship.
One of the most important variables in predicting how well a relationship will work is the compatibility of the partners. A perfect match is a matter of personal satisfaction. In other words, people would be satisfied with a partner if they could find at least some commonalities. Obviously, there are some other factors that come into play when determining whether or not a relationship can be classified as a perfect fit, such as the dominant personality traits of each individual involved, the duration of the relationship, and the characteristics of each partner.
At the heart of all relationships is the emotion of love. As one person’s feelings for another become stronger than the other person’s feelings for him/her, so does the risk of hurt. While most people will experience different things when they are in a relationship, there are some underlying common aspects. Therefore, feelings, whether deep or surface based, are very important factors in determining whether or not a relationship will work out. Even if you do not share the same feelings for your partner, you should be able to understand each other and be able to let your partner know how much he/she means to you on a conscious level (though feelings are also very important even after a relationship has begun to disintegrate).