By Celine Zeineldine | Staff Writer
Have you ever considered breaking up with someone with whom you were clearly not getting along but didn’t because you love them? If so, I can assure you that you are not alone. A lot of relationships are founded solely on love. But is that enough to maintain it?
While it might feel like love can pull anything out of the mud, it seems that it cannot do so alone. Of course, love is very important in a relationship, but many other components are needed to build and maintain a healthy relationship. Let’s start by describing why love itself is necessary.
- LOVE
We’ve all heard the sentence “Love conquers all.” However, how can that be? Love is the motivator of a relationship; it is what makes one feel like the person is worth fighting for. Nevertheless, while love is essential to establishing a relationship, it needs other qualities to help maintain it. This is where the other remaining components necessary for a healthy relationship come into play. It is important to note that these qualities must be reciprocal to have a proper relationship. I will be tackling a few of these components.
- EFFORT
It is vital for partners not to take each other for granted. You should always make consistent efforts for your partner. If they have had a bad day, you could make an effort to comfort them or do something to cheer them up. Another crucial effort is understanding. By putting yourself in your partner’s shoes, you could potentially meet halfway during arguments and resolve your issues without conflict.
- COMMUNICATION
Although keeping your emotions at bay can sometimes prove to be challenging, you should always keep in mind that it’s both of you against the problem, not you versus your partner. You need to work on the issue together. You can ensure that by admitting when you are wrong or calmly explaining to your partner why you might not be. Avoid using accusatory language; instead of saying “You did this… you did that…”, you could say something like “I think you might have hurt my feelings when…” Additionally, if something bothers you, do not hesitate to maturely talk about it with your partner as keeping it in might bother you and foster unresolved anger towards your partner.
- TRUST
Always be honest with your partner. This, along with being there for them, builds trust between you two. Trust is what makes one feel safe and secure with another person, leading to more intimacy between partners. Intimacy, in turn, strengthens the relationship through mutual vulnerability and openness towards each other’s thoughts and feelings.
- RESPECT
Prejudice should have no place in your relationship. Mutual respect of each other’s identities, hobbies, jobs, and environment is mandatory. Avoid engaging in a “who’s better” competition, rather, provide mutual support. Ensure that you are receiving the respect you deserve, which includes not crossing each other’s boundaries and resorting to proper verbal communication.
In conclusion, while love might be the first building block of a relationship, it takes more than that to continue building on. The growth of a relationship depends on many mutual components including effort, communication, trust, and respect. If love is the only presence between a couple from either side or both sides, then the relationship may become toxic.