Definition of Being in a Relationship
Defining what it means to be in a relationship is a near-impossible task. Relationships are such a personal experience that no two are the same. You can relate to similarities with other couples, but they’ll never have what you and your boyfriend or girlfriend have worked so hard to complicate.
Relationships are easy when experienced with the right person, but they can also be an awful lot of hard work. It’s hard to put it into words what makes the connection you have with somebody, but what we do know is there as so many factors, and each one benefits your life in some way, shape, or form.
Basically, being in love makes your life much more worthwhile than it would if you were single… for some people anyway!
Without further ado, watch as we try to define the complexities of a relationship in one concise article.
Wish us luck!
What’s the Relationship of it All?
We could be rarely clichéd and give you the dictionary definition of being in a relationship, but that’s not how we like to do things here. Instead, we spoke to some friends and asked what they thought it meant to “be in a relationship.”
This is what they had to say:
Being in a relationship means I have somebody to pick me up on those days I struggle to get out of bad… and there’s an awful lot of them recently. It has a safe space where you don’t have to shave your legs or wear a bra, and you’ll still be valued as a human being. I think the Lord every day for my husband. Michelle, 38
For me, a relationship starts when you can’t get a person out your mind. You are attracted to them for the person they are rather than what they look like. I’m lucky my wife is drop-dead gorgeous anyway, but it wasn’t her eyes or her hips which captured my heart: it was her intelligence and tenacity. Stuart, 43.
I’m not entirely proud of my past. I’ve done stupid things with people and thought I could never be with somebody in the traditional sense. That all changed when I met my partner. He never makes me feel bad about the way I used to act. He loves me for my flaws and all the weird things that make me who I am. If you want my answer – being in a relationship is committing to somebody as a whole, not just the parts you like about them. Cath, 31
I view a relationship as a break from myself. I’m not great on my own and can’t stand my own company. I function better when I have somebody to bounce ideas off. Or just to have somebody who enjoys cuddling on the sofa of an evening. A relationship means having a friend “on tap” – hopefully, that beer barrel doesn’t run out any time soon. I don’t know what I would do without my partner. Brian, 40
Being in a relationship means never wanting to hurt the person you are with - their happiness is more important than your own happiness at times. As long as they don’t take advantage of that fact. When your partner is in your personal space, it feels as comfortable as it would if you were alone. Your plans for the future involve them, and you can’t imagine a future without them. Charlotte, 34.
The Definition of Trying in a Relationship
It is no secret that in order to keep your relationship fresh and make it the best it can possibly be, both partners need to avoid being passive and actually try to make a real-go with each other. Without serious effort, the relationship is simply going to fall flat on its face.
So what can you do to work hard and try in your relationship? The following points are a good place to start!
Honesty Could Not Be Any More Important
Do we really have to tell you this one? Honesty is the cornerstone of any successful relationship. This should be an environment in which you can unequivocally be your true self. Your partner expects authenticity, just as you should expect to receive the same truthfulness from them.
Couples who hold things back from each other usually fall apart relatively quickly. This is due to the snowball effect. First, you start lying about little things which may seem inconsequential, but pretty soon, you’ll be covering up more things. You can’t have a relationship with a fake person – love requires total honesty in order to work.
Be Aware That Your Partner Is… in Fact… Their Own Person
Being in a relationship means having an actual human being across from you with thoughts and feelings of their own. For some people, this is an alien concept around which they have no hope of getting their head around. But you should remind yourself of this mantra on a regular basis. Your partner is certainly not a commodity or *shudders* an object, something which you can use as you please.
You should always keep their emotional self in your mind and be careful never to hurt them. Being in a relationship means being grateful that you have somebody amazing by your side.
Be Clear in What You Want
Otherwise known as “Tell Culture,” this is an ingenious piece of communication advice that will go such a long way in helping you maintain a positive relationship. There is something good about being open with the people who are closest to you. Therefore, you should never be afraid to tell (see there it is!) them what you want or need.
That is your only job in this regard – communicate what you need and leave it with your partner. If they value you, they’ll give you what you need or help you through issues – within reason! Remember what we said earlier: they are a completely different person to you and are not obliged to do anything for you if it makes them feel uncomfortable.
Do Your Best to Get on Your Partner’s Wavelength
People communicate in different ways. If you want your relationship to work, we suggest doing your best to get on your partner’s wavelength and figuring out the best way to get through to them. Are they the sort of person who prefers texting over phone calls? Make sure your text rather than call. Are they a morning or evening person? Take stock of this, and don’t push their buttons if they are a literal ogre before they’ve had their morning coffee.
Make Sure You Trust Each Other
A relationship is absolutely nothing if it doesn’t contain trust. Your partner will never feel valued if they feel you don’t trust them whenever you are not around. If you are the sort of person who is insecure, do your best to conquer that side of yourself - or at least avoid bringing it up on a regular basis. Your partner doesn’t need to have the same conversation over and over again.
Instead, make a mental note of what is causing you all that anxiety. Usually, it can be explained away in a matter of minutes. If you want to be in a proper relationship, you have to accept your partner is going to want to live their life without being under your thumb the entire time.
Make an Effort to Respect Each Other’s Boundaries
It does not matter how close you are as a couple; you should never cross each other’s boundaries. These walls are there for a reason: everybody is entitled to some modicum of privacy. They should not have you looking over their shoulder whenever they get a text or message. The same applies to you as well. You should not have to put up with a partner who cannot afford you this rather basic right.
Being in a healthy relationship means being able to divulge as much or as little as you want to your partner – and your partner should be more mature enough to respect that and not ask any questions. It also involves never being forced into a situation or made to do something which goes against your wishes. With any luck, your relationship will never see you placed in this rather unfortunate scenario.
What Have We Learned?
So what can we gather from everything we’ve discussed? An awful lot. There’s so much which goes into making a healthy relationship; it’s impossible to define what one actually is – for better or worse.
But you want to answer, don’t you?
Okay then, here it goes…
A relationship is a union between two people in which trust, love, and companionship are held sacred. A relationship is a forum in which two people can become their best selves and encourage each other along the way.
We are actually quite proud of that response – print it on a t-shirt!
