8 Rare Traits Of A Solid Relationship That's Built To Last
Hopefully, you and your partner are 8/8.
Kseniia Perminova / Shutterstock While some personality differences are beneficial to relationships, I sometimes wonder to myself how many unhappy relationships wouldn't have begun in the first place if people were a little more discerning about who they end up with.
But rather than taking a negative approach to the discussion, I wanted to lay out points that show you're headed in the right direction.
Here are 8 traits of a solid relationship that is built to last.
1. You fully support each other.
Whether or not you share each others' passions or life ambitions, when you truly care about someone, you want to see them succeed and be happy in whatever they love. This means standing beside them, not in their way, when they dedicate effort towards pursuing a goal.
If your partner has a certain passion or hobby, you take the time to show your support, often participating or accompanying them in their endeavors, even if you, yourself, aren't interested. But rather than making it seem like a chore, you make sure they feel encouraged to continue. And they do the same for you.
2. You deeply respect each other.
This one needs no explanation: mutual respect between partners in a relationship is paramount to its success. It's as simple as that. Because without respect, any relationship is doomed to fail; a lack of respect eventually leads to a breakdown of communication and a lack of understanding of one another's needs.
Honesty, trust, friendship, and intimacy all grow from this foundation. Without respect, there's nothing else.
3. You're willing to compromise with each other.
While you should obviously be compatible with your partner, that doesn't mean you'll automatically love every single thing they love, and vice versa. If you truly care for someone and their happiness, you'll be willing to watch, do, see, and experience things they enjoy, as they would do for you in return.
Without compromise, we can easily find our relationships resembling a see-saw with a huge boulder on one side — the distribution never shifts. In this case, the boulder represents the wants and needs of one partner.
There should be an equal amount of balance in order to keep you both happy and satisfied.
4. You're similarly ambitious.
We can't expect our significant other to have an identical plan for their future as we do (see: compromise and mutual support), but it's reasonable to desire similarities when building a life with someone.
In a relationship, the results are best when the members are working towards a common goal together. This goal could even be something so simple as self-improvement.
If one partner is dedicating their life to personal growth, and the other is content with how things are and never displays a desire for change, this can easily create resentment and tension over time.
5. You trust each other with anything.
I'm not sure why this one is so difficult to grasp, but if your boyfriend or girlfriend wants to go out with their friends they haven't seen in a while, what's the harm?
A solid relationship won't be shaken by this simple act, and you'll know they'll be back in your arms at the end of the night or the next day. Nothing to see here, kids — move along.
If your partner doesn't trust you and you've given them no reason to feel this way, it's possible they're projecting their own infidelities or insecurities onto you. In the "ultimate" relationship, both partners have earned each others' trust and would never do anything to betray it.
6. You never judge each other.
Happiness in a relationship comes from two partners who are able to be open and honest with each other. That honesty comes from being comfortable to open up and know you won't be judged.
When you're sharing your life with someone, there's no room for discomfort, secrets, or lies. Especially secrets or lies that are forced by the inability to be genuine with your partner. When you keep things from each other, it erodes trust and, over time, leads to the breakdown of the relationship.
The right person for you will support and encourage you on your journey to becoming the person you want to be, but they'll also love you as the person you already are.
7. You communicate effectively.
It's natural to face conflicts when you spend a lot of time with any person, but people in a healthy relationship will resolve any issues by discussing opinions and stances in order to understand each other better and reach a solution they both agree on.
Rather than attacking one another with verbal assaults and personal jabs, a solid relationship involves two partners who are willing to openly and honestly talk about the issue at hand. On the other hand, frequent nasty, vindictive fights are a sign to re-evaluate your "relationship."
8. You never lose sight of the little things.
The small things you do for someone are what count the most. These are the actions that show your partner you're willing to put in effort for them, just because. No special occasion or holiday is required; you don't need a schedule to show someone you love them.
A happy, healthy relationship will consist of two partners willing to put in equal effort, consistently. Great relationships aren't about give and take; they're about give and give.
When these little things start to fade is when the strength of the relationship will start to become more questionable. Do they really appreciate you? Do they still care as much as they once did? Is our relationship becoming stronger over time, or weaker?
Once you start asking yourself these questions, it's time to address them and find real answers.
Every person who reads this will have a different image of their "ultimate" relationship in their mind. The key thing is to understand that it's possible to achieve, as long as both partners are willing to put in the effort to uphold the integrity of their wants and desires.
Does it sound like work? That's because relationships can be. But that's what makes the great ones so rewarding.
James Michael Sama is an award-winning Boston based blogger who writes about dating and relationships. He speaks on the topics of chivalry, romance, and happiness and has been featured repeatedly in news segments, talk shows, and mainstream radio.