What Makes a Good Relationship?
When people first
experience falling in love, it often starts as attraction. Sexual feelings can
also be a part of this attraction. People at this stage might daydream about a
crush or a new BF or GF. They may doodle the person's name or think of their special
someone while a particular song is playing.
It sure feels like love.
But it's not love yet. It hasn't had time to grow into emotional closeness
that's needed for love. Because feelings of attraction and sexual interest are
new, and they're directed at a person we want a relationship with, it's not
surprising we confuse attraction with love. It's all so intense, exciting, and
hard to sort out.
The crazy intensity of the
passion and attraction phase fades a bit after a while. Like putting all our
energy into winning a race, this kind of passion is exhilarating but far too
extreme to keep going forever. If a relationship is destined to last, this is
where closeness enters the picture. The early passionate intensity may fade,
but a deep affectionate attachment takes its place.
Some of the ways people
grow close are:
·
Learning to give and receive. A healthy relationship is about both
people, not how much one person can get from (or give to) the other.
·
Revealing feelings. A supportive, caring relationship allows people to reveal
details about themselves their likes and dislikes, dreams and worries, proud
moments, disappointments, fears, and weaknesses.
·
Listening and supporting. When two people care, they offer support when the other
person is feeling vulnerable or afraid. They don't put down or insult their
partner, even when they disagree.
Giving, receiving,
revealing, and supporting is a back-and-forth process: One person shares a
detail, then the other person shares something, then the first person feels
safe enough to share a little more. In this way, the relationship gradually
builds into a place of openness, trust, and support where each partner knows
that the other will be there when times are tough. Both feel liked and accepted
for who they are.
The passion and attraction
the couple felt early on in the relationship isn't lost. It's just different.
In healthy, long-term relationships, couples often find that intense passion
comes and goes at different times. But the closeness is always there.
Sometimes, though, a couple
loses the closeness. For adults, relationships can sometimes turn into what
experts call "empty love." This means that the closeness and
attraction they once felt is gone, and they stay together only out of
commitment. This is not usually a problem for teens, but there are other
reasons why relationships.
Why Do
Relationships End?
Love is
delicate. It needs to be cared for and nurtured if it is to last through time.
Just like friendships, relationships can fail if they are not given enough time
and attention. This is one reason why some couples might not last perhaps
someone is so busy with school, extracurricular, and work that he or she has
less time for a relationship. Or maybe a relationship ends when people graduate
and go to separate colleges or take different career paths.
For
some teens, a couple may grow apart because the things that are important to
them change as they mature. Or maybe each person wants different things out of
the relationship. Sometimes both people realize the relationship has reached
its end; sometimes one person feels this way when the other does not.