Intimate Relationships

     Well, once again it’s time to say what I have learned in my Interpersonal Communications class. In Chapter 10, my class and I learned about the nature of intimate relationships. In the being of the Chapter, it was stated that many people think of romantic relationships when the word “intimate” is spoken. I have to say, when I hear the word “intimate” spoken, I think of romance, but really, intimacy means significant emotional closeness experienced in a relationship. The common characteristics of intimate relationships are deep commitment, foster interdependence, continuous investment, and spark dialectical tensions.

Deep commitment:

     What is commitment anyways? It’s a desire to stay in a relationship. Intimate relationships require deep commitment which is the willing to put minor differences aside and to make compromised in order to preserve our intimate relationships. Intimate relationships include some sort of emotional commitment level which is a sense of responsibility of each other’s feelings and emotional happiness.

Foster Interdependence:

     Intimate relationships include high degrees of interdependence which is a state where the behavior of each person affects everyone else in the relationship. One action influences others in families and relationships.

Continuous Investment:

     Intimate relationships also have a high degree of investment. This is the resources and time that we put into a relationship. The resources include time, money, energy, and attention.

Dialectical Tensions:

     What does dialectical tension mean? Well, it is the conflicts between two important but opposing needs or desires. Dialectical tensions are common in intimate relationships. In my next blog, I’ll be talking more about dialectical tensions. So stay tuned.

     Intimate relationships are hard to hold onto, but it is worth it. I know this for sure. My boyfriend and I had a distance relationship for a year, but after the year we knew we had to try to go further. So, I moved seven hours away from my family and friends so my boyfriend and I could work our relationship out. It has been hard in the beginning, but now it’s a lot easier because we learned to accommodate each other’s feelings and emotional happiness.