A relationship between two individuals is formed when they connect and align keeping the core values of respect, honesty, loyalty, communication, and accountability for each other. We meet a lot of people everyday and make different types of connections with them. Some of them take a lot of work, while some, not so much.
Resolving conflict requires you to understand the foundation of every relationship. So, let’s start by understanding the types and the core values they are built on and then go deeper into relationship decisions.
Different Types of Interpersonal Relationships
Every type of relationship is formed and nurtured differently. However, the core values of mutual trust, respect, loyalty and accountability required to maintain any relationship stay the same. The broad categories in relationships are:
Family
The first of relationships we experience in life is the family. The family plays a key role in our understanding of relationships from an early age.
Like every other, conflicts are present in the family too. Family is built on trust, reliability and communication. Togetherness is the key to solving a conflict in the family. Staying together through the good and bad times nurtures the bond and makes the family resilient.
Friendships
Friendships are an extended support system, which keep you motivated and feeling good about yourself. Friendships are spread across a lifetime. We have friends who stay, grow with us and last a lifetime. We humans are dynamic. We constantly develop and change into different individuals. And therefore, it is normal to also have friends who last a few months or years.
Friends are the people we choose to be with. When we genuinely accept someone for who they are, show interest in their life and well-being, a friend is born. However, friendship is a two-way street and reciprocation is the key to keep this relationship going.
Acquaintances
Acquaintances are the people we might know from school, work, etc. Acquaintances can be classified as casual friendships that serve the purpose of making connections or references and boost a sense of community. We might not know acquaintances on a personal or deeper level and conflicts are generally low in this category.
Romantic Relationships
Romantic relationships involve different components and seem complicated to most people. Emotional commitment is an important factor here. It takes continuous nurturing and mutual trust to build this relationship. Only when that trust is established does it get easier to let the guards down and be yourself without any fear of judgement. Conflicts in this relationship can generally leave deeper scars because of the depth of emotions involved here.
Romantic relationships differ from person to person. The language of love can be very different for each depending on their persona. According to Gary Chapman, there are 5 different love languages. Be sure to figure out which one is yours.
Why is it difficult to make relationship decisions?
Relationship decisions seem difficult to make. Whether you are planning to start a new relationship or end a toxic one, it always requires some level of thought mainly because of the emotions involved here. These decisions cannot be made independently and always involve the other person’s opinions and thoughts too. Striking a deal which benefits both parties can seem a bit daunting, but isn’t impossible.
How to make relationship decisions easy?
Most of us get into relationships hoping that it’ll solve our problems and fix our insecurities. What happens is quite the opposite. Unresolved deep insecurities can surface when your expectations are not met and you start to feel vulnerable. Love yourself first, leave behind your past baggage, and enter into a relationship removing those biases and filters you have within yourself. Accept the person in front of you for who they are. Make sure you are aware of the realities of the person when starting a relationship rather than the idea you have of him/her.
Always remember that we are individual and independent beings. The keys to our happiness lies within ourselves. Each person has a journey so different, that they can never be the same as you or fit perfectly into an image you have of them.
Crecers offers a Diploma in Life Skills to help you figure out who you are and enables you to effectively deal with your insecurities in turn improving your interpersonal relationships.
While differences could be many, ensure you are on the same page and you have the same intentions. Find out that intention, that purpose and reiterate it when there are differences of opinion. It is always easier to resolve a conflict, when you are working towards the same goal.
For you and your boss, the common goal would be the company’s progress. For you and your friend, the common goal would be for the relationship to last a lifetime. For you and your spouse, the common goal would be to support each other’s growth, and so on.
Relationship counselors can help you understand the dimensions of your relationship and help you resolve conflicts easily.
As humans, we make a number of relationships, but let us all live with one common goal: Support each other’s journey and live in harmony.
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