Monday, September 12, 2011

When is it Right?













In light of the good-and-understanding-person critera: no body is perfect, relationships require compromise, and beauty is only skin deep; how do we ever really know when it's right?

After doing some very disappointing google searches for "am I in love" or "should I commit" or "is he the one" and turning up a horrific explosion of illiterate and predictable myspace quizzes created for hormonal preteens recovering from their first kiss tremors, I decided someone needed to put their foot down and look at this practically.

What really makes a relationship the right relationship? When is it safe to spill the L-word; to move in together; to start talking about children and stoping in front of jeweler windows to admire diamonds? Is there a criteria? And, given the different experiences people may or may not have, does it change from person to person? I got a little carried away and started asking around. "What are the 4 qualities of a perfect relationship?" Here's what I've uncovered:


guy # 1: 24, Paris, FR
laughs, the ability to compromise, variation, and peace

lady # 4: 60, HI, US
mutual love, respect, understanding, and shared interests

guy # 2: 27, Paris, FR
trust, understanding, discovery, and beautiful sex

lady # 2: 23, OR, US
commitment, stability, passion, and adventure

guy # 3: 25, HI, US
forgiveness, sex, humor, sympathy/apathy

lady # 3: 22, AK, US
communication, great sex, support, appreciation

lady # 1: 23, Dijon, FR
passion, compatibility, communication and ambition

Who woulda-thunk that with all the struggling and angst and worry that can be cultivated between two people that the desirable qualities of a relationship (at least in my small sample pool) are so simple and universal? Shared interests, communication and humor = Compatibility, passion = Sex, and variation, discovery, adventure and ambition all fall into a seated desire to avoid the monotonous = Innovation.

Is it safe to say that if we have these three we're doing it right? -And if we're missing one or all it's time to hit the road? Can two relationships be completely different and still good for unique reasons?

In a culture where we're taught to compromise and accept what's wrong, how do we know when it's right?


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