Having a significant other provides people with fulfillment, companionship, and someone to hang out and relax with. But being involved in a romantic relationship can also serve as a way to learn about yourself. You can learn more about who you are, and about who you want to be, not only as a member of the relationship, but as a person. Being in a partnership can allow you to discover very much about yourself.
Here are some of the key things you may learn:
How vulnerable you’re willing to be. A romantic relationship needs a certain level of intimacy to genuinely develop. Each person involved must be willing to trust each other with their heart. This involves letting down your guard and allows you not only to reap all of the emotional benefits involved in being in a relationship with someone, but also to be a worthwhile partner.
The type of person you are in your relationship reveals how vulnerable you are able to be. If you’re consistently distant, you’re likely feeling concern over being hurt. Another possibility is that you consider vulnerability to be a weakness. Conversely, if you’re willing to throw caution to the wind and dive right in, you may become too deeply involved too quickly, and may need to safeguard your heart more carefully.
How well you compromise. It’s often said that relationships involve both give and take. Unless you and your partner agree on virtually everything, you will not get what you want all the time. Learning how to defer properly to your partner is important.
Are you continually rolling over and giving the other person what they want in every situation, or do you find yourself always fighting to the death to get your own way? Are there some battles that are more important to you than others? Your answers to those questions reveal much about how well you compromise in your romantic relationship.
How you deal with conflict. Arguments are a component of every relationship, whether romantic or not. Couples who never disagree are likely holding in their reactions. It’s perfectly okay for you and your partner to argue occasionally.
The teachable lesson relates to how you deal with conflict. Do you find that you start all of the arguments, or do you retreat the moment you notice that a fight is brewing? Do you hold grudges and bring past misdeeds into every argument? How you argue is a very important point to consider.
How independent or dependent you can be. Some people lose themselves in the partnership when they’re involved in a romantic relationship. They leave their distinct self behind as they take on their partner’s hobbies, friends, routines, and friends. Other people keep a stranglehold on their independence and push their partner away so they can hold on to their autonomy.
But it’s possible to strike a balance between the two extremes. The way you adapt as an individual person when you’re joining your life with someone else can show how high of a value you place on your own self. It can also serve as a reflection of how you believe people are supposed to act and behave when in relationships.
How true to yourself you are when in a relationship. It can be rough to being alone. But you should never be willing to settle, regardless of how much you want to be with someone. And you should avoid trying to become the type of person you think other people will want to be with.
It’s certainly okay for people to show the sexiest, best, most most attractive components of themselves when beginning a relationship. But it’s important to make sure that throughout the process, you’re being true to yourself.
How you receive love and give love. A romantic relationship is usually all about love. So, one more critical lesson can learn about is how you receive and how you give love. The way you want to be cared for yourself can differ greatly from the way you choose to show your partner that you care.
Understanding these differences is important as you seek someone to be with long term. When you and your partner genuinely understand the ways the two of you receive and give love and then act on this knowledge, your relationship will be a successful and fulfilling one.