20 Characteristics of Strong Relationships
The perfect couple does not exist, that’s true. Loving someone is respecting, admiring, and being there for them during the good times and the bad. If our partner doesn’t love us as we are, doesn’t support us and instead humiliates us, then that is not love and maybe we’re lying to ourselves.
That’s why relationships take effort. When we do not love ourselves, we allow the other person to push us around.
So what does a strong relationship look like?
“One is in love when he realizes that the other person is unique”
-Jorge Luis Borges-
20 characteristics of loving relationships
1. We admire each other
When you love someone you admire them. You admire their way of being, of behaving with you and others. You admire his or her way of life, their hobbies. Admiring is loving.
2. We respect each other
When we love, we respect and value each other’s opinions.Thinking differently does not mean there is a conflict; on the contrary, we embrace our differences because they offer opportunities for learning and growth.
3. We suffer when we feel that we have hurt the other person
When we love a person, we suffer if we see that we’ve done wrong by him or her. We are concerned and try to repair the damage we have caused.
4. We forgive
When we love someone, we understand and want to forgive. Love has its ups and downs and sometimes and our partner can sometimes hurts us. But love means knowing how to ask forgiveness and forgive without resentment.
5. We complement one another
Because we give each other what we need. Because when we’re nervous, our partner calms us down. Because when we’re apprehensive, they relax us. Because we complement each other.
6. We do not demand things from each other
We are free and we do not own each other. We’re just fellow travelers wanting to travel on the same train. Since the moment we saw each other, we’ve both chosen the most free and respectful way possible to be fellow travelers. But each of us is an independent, whole person.
When we love we are not the other’s half but rather we are complete with our particular responsibilities to plan a future together.
7. We keep surprising each other
A small unexpected gift, tickets to our favorite show, a text message or greeting me with a smile. Small details that make a difference. All this nourishes the love of the couple.
8. We have learned to enjoy different stages of love
When we love someone, we enjoy every stage of love. We no longer feel as dizzy, but we have a unique complicity. Sometimes, we start feeling the butterflies again as we did in the beginning, and then return to our wonderful routine.
9. We want to spend time together
When we have a relationship with another person, we like to spend time together and share moments full of experiences and feelings.
10. We help each other
“She knows more about it than me,” “He knows this better than I do”… When we need help we know that our partner will be willing to make things easier for us.
11. We do not forget to ask: How was your day?
It is very important that the other know that we care about him or her and that every day the first thing we do when we see them is “How was your day today?”
Worrying about how they are is crucial to support and establish our sense of accompaniment to the other.
12. We respect our spaces
Whenever we do something we include them, although we also know how to respect the times when we need to be alone or with others.
13. We show our love every day with small gestures
A wink, a kiss, a smile…are enough. A gesture can be more than words. A gesture can be a silent symbol of our love.
14. We still remember things from our past together with love
It’s been a while but we remember all that we have lived together. All our successes, joys and failures and difficulties but always confronting them, always united.
15. We defend each other
When we love someone, we do not support anyone who could harm our partner in one way or another. We defend them”tooth and nail”.
16. We make each other feel good
When we love we do not want our partner to feel bad about any of our actions and try to make them feel happy with us.
17. With one look we tell each other everything
When we look at our partner, we know if they are sad or worried. When we look at our partner we know how they feel, if they are uncomfortable or if they are really enjoying something. Together we have learned the language of our eyes.
18. There continues to be chemistry between us
Despite the passage of time and our changes, we still love our partner and continue to feel an attraction and desire for him or her.
19. We are patient and generous
Love does not continuously demand. Love is giving and receiving. We love only when we are able to sacrifice for the other and try to understand them because it is not my vision or yours, it is a combination of both.
We love when we accept each other’s faults and things that we do not like. When we are patient and do not intend to change someone or adjust them to our liking.
20. We are loyal, genuine and honest
We cannot love anyone unless we are sincere and honest with them. Love has no great secrets from the other. At most, there are small little secrets that make us interesting. Being loyal, honest and authentic is the basis of our trust.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Barrios, A., & Pinto, B. (2008). El concepto de amor en la pareja. Ajayu Órgano de Difusión Científica del Departamento de Psicología UCBSP, 6(2), 21-41.
- Luo, S., & Zhang, G. (2009). What leads to romantic attraction: Similarity, reciprocity, security, or beauty? Evidence from a speed‐dating study. Journal of personality, 77(4), 933-964.