successful couples learn to speak up and express their opinions, while also appreciating their differing perspectives.
Good couples are as different as they are similar: sharing some attitudes and not others.
Growing up, all you wanted was to become independent. Until, one day, you fell in love. Suddenly independence didn’t feel nearly so important, as you discovered how wonderful it is to be really close to another adult.
But there’s a downside to intimacy because you can easily lose yourself in a relationship. This can happen if you start measuring your worth by how your partner treats you, for example. Or if you become scared to show your partner the real you. Or if you’re constantly compromising your needs to meet your partner’s demands. Or if you get lazy now you’re in a relationship and start letting your partner take the lead in everything.
