Why friendship is important in a relationship?

Asked by Anonymous
Answered
04/30/2021

In a research study by The National Bureau of Economic Research, it was found that “well-being effects of marriage are about twice as large for those whose spouse is also their best friend.” Friendship matters! Although your significant other does not necessarily need to be your “best friend,” it still is critical that they are a close companion. Findings also suggest a close friendship is linked with both a sexually and emotionally satisfying relationship. Finding a partner who was first and foremost a friend was a good predictor of the long-term success of a relationship.

Friendship is the first thing you need and is very important when it comes to developing a relationship. Being friends allows you to get to know the person for who they are and allows you to learn things about them that you would not have learned otherwise.

When you jump into a relationship without being friends first, all types of issues and challenges occur. You begin to expect more from the person and sometimes set unrealistic expectations. By putting friendship before a relationship, you can easily decide whether he is the perfect one to date or not as there will be no pretensions and more open space to talk about things that matter.

When you develop a genuine friendship, there are no expectations. You can be yourself, as can your partner. You can learn everything you want to know about each other. You don’t have to worry about pretending to be someone you’re not. Developing a bond of friendship before a relationship is definitely better than letting attraction get the better of you and discovering later that you can’t even be good friends.

It’s better to find out only that you don’t want a relationship during the friendship phase instead of finding out later when you have connected emotionally to your partner. Being friends before lovers also ensures that the initial infatuation wears off. You can see the other person for who they are and present your real self to them, which is an excellent foundation for a long-term relationship.

(MA, LPC, NCC)