Most often, our focus in relationships is on how well someone behaves towards us, and vice versa.

When either partner or individual behaves badly, the focus is inevitably on first stopping or challenging the bad behaviour, and sometimes, understanding why they felt a need to behave that way.

Rarely do our considerations or concerns extend beyond that. Worse still, we almost never consider the impact on the human who was affected by our behaviour, rather than just the practical impact to them or their life.

Empathy is what sustains a relationship beyond honest mistakes. Cooperation or transacting only maintains a relationship as long there is a balance in visible effort to contribute towards that relationship from both sides.

We need to look deeper than that at both what we need from each other, and what impact we have on each other if we hope to have healthier and more fulfilling relationships that do indeed become a lifelong union.

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