What’s the most important thing in a relationship?
Trust, loyalty, love, values, respect. Relationships persist thanks to a combination of many factors. From generation to generation, from man to woman, from person to person, there is always a # 1 factor. A factor that we would not be ready to sacrifice. A factor that we perceive as the secret ingredient of a healthy and lasting relationship. Out of curiosity, I asked several people around me what they think is the determining factor of a relationship and here is what I have compiled.
Catherine, 54 years old
Humor. What I look for in a relationship is the aspect of detachment it brings to my routine. No matter how stressful the day is, I love knowing that someone has the ability to cheer me up and remind me that deep down, life isn’t that bad. Someone who is able to make me laugh and offer me a wider social network is someone who is essential to me.
Jaeden, 19
Devotion. What makes the relationship last is the balance of dedication from both parties. Both people have to be willing to make the same sacrifices to make the relationship work. As soon as you start to feel that there is an imbalance between what you bring to the relationship and what you gain from it, that is the beginning of the end.
Suzanne, 69 years old
Family. I started building my family when I was 19 and now, 50 years later, they are still the most important thing to me. It’s a part of me that I only share with my partner. No matter how much time passes, our couple is united forever. I really think that’s what makes our relationship so strong. Our children, our grandchildren, they are all an extension of our love, a constant reminder of what we share.
Alain, 53 years old
Complicity. The thing that makes a couple last is certainly the promises and projects that you plan to start with the other. And me, I have no desire to plan a life with someone other than my best friend, my accomplice. Like Batman and Robin, I need a partner who not only understands me, but complements me. Someone with whom I share an inexplicable chemistry, who makes all projects of the future, no matter how absurd, maybe possible.
Hayley, 19
Sex. I am young and I am often judged for believing that way, but I judge others who claim that sex, in a relationship, is not important. Not only for its aspect of pleasure, but also for the chemistry that is created. Emotionally and physically, sex is the most intimate thing a couple can feel. In order for something to survive in the long run, it is important that our physical needs are met.
Carol, 70
Love. If I hadn’t loved her, I would never have stayed with her for 50 years. I was young, but for me it was love at first sight. That’s when I realized what it was like to want to sacrifice everything for another person, no matter how big the sacrifice was. In our 50 years of marriage, we have overcome obstacles! Each time, we wonder how we got through all of this and finally, we come out with the same conclusion: because we love each other.
Elena, 20 years old
Trust. It is typical as an answer, but it is the basis of everything. Without trust, it’s impossible to build something with substance, something that isn’t right on the surface. Entrusting all of our thoughts and especially our vulnerability to someone is not something to be taken lightly.
Matthew, 18
The attraction. Without sounding superficial, I really believe that the attraction we have for a person is very important in order to maintain a certain interest. Whether it is an attraction to the physique or the personality, we need that little ball of stress in the back of our stomachs reappear from time to time to keep the interest and the excitement.
All loves are different. All relationships are different.
It is clear that maintaining a long-term relationship is a challenge that does not arise without complications. But sometimes it’s good to forget all the reasons why we should leave, to remember the one who has the power to make us stay.
Cover photo source
Don’t forget to share the post !
