While you don’t have to agree with everything your spouse does, you do need to show each other respect. You and your partner must acknowledge that you are two distinct individuals with separate wants and interests. In a good relationship, you respect and embrace your differences, even if you don’t love everything your partner loves. You have mutual trust. Trust is the foundation of a healthy relationship. And trust extends to parenting, finances, faithfulness, and other areas. Partners that are trustworthy are dependable, faithful, and predictable. It takes two to communicate: you must be able to express yourself clearly and hear your spouse clearly, even when they are telling you unpleasant things. Feeling dedicated to your partner is the best predictor of a healthy relationship. If you believe your significant other is in it for the long haul, and your partner believes the same about you, your relationship is probably healthy. You’re kind to one another. A healthy relationship involves both sides treating each other with care and compassion. All couples argue from time to time, but people in healthy relationships are respectful of one another, even when they disagree. You enjoy one another’s company. It is important for couples to have distinct interests and to spend time apart, but healthy couples do like spending time together, whether they binge-watch a TV show together, work out together, or have frequent dates.
