How to handle a relationship

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TotalyMoo

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-- I also posted this on the advice forum but figured it's not very high traffic so to get a discussion going I post here too. Sorry if it breaks any rules and mods feel free to remove either if you feel it fits. --

A relationship is...

There are a lot of different ways to end that sentence. It can be expressions like; heaven, the best thing ever, awesome and 'gwweeeeee' (the best way I could describe the happy sound you make when you first enter a new relationship) but many people would say a relationship is uneasy, hard, scary, stressful and even bad for you.
Many of us have probably at least once been faced with a question or asked for advice in the relationship and love genre. The problem is that there is no "one answer", there is no ultimate solution or explanation for what love is. Since everyone has a different view of love and relationships (they don't have to be loving ones like *kisskisshughug* but also friendships) there are as many answers to the question as there are people on earth.

What I created this thread for is for people to describe, grasp or explain what their view on a relationship is.

I'll start of with something I said when a close friend to me handled her very tough breakup from 'the love of her life'.

A relationship is like climbing a viewpoint in Assassins Creed.
It starts of with something new, a new place, a new challenge, a new part of your life.
Down from the ground you can only glimpse some of the things ahead of you.
It's exciting, frustrating and scary (and many more things) all at the same time.
When you manage to start climbing the tower (which itself can be a challenge) you start a great journey.
You can very early see what kind of relationship it's going to be.
The tower might be low but challenging, it might be tall and easy.
You can chose to jump of here, just live for the thrill of starting something but not dare to finish it.
Many people do this, but in your case you climbed on.
You climbed on and kept facing everything it threw at you.
During the long climb you started seeing the world around you, the further you came the more you saw.
Depending on what was happening and which side you were on you saw different parts of the world around you.
Sometimes it was fun, sometimes it was sad and incredibly tough.
But you managed to reach the top of the tower and suddenly everything was so clear.
You saw the world around you and everything you had experienced during the long climb as a whole.
It was safe, you felt complete, this is where you wanted to stay.
But suddenly there were no challenges, the joys stopped coming and the experience went mundane.
You entered a period where you had the safest position in the world and you imagined "this must be good, this is what everyone fights for".
Tough soon you got bored and life lost many reasons, why life if it's no challenge?
This is where you faced your biggest decision so far.
It was - and will always be - a three choice road.
Either you stay on top of the tower, safe, easy to fend of enemies, easy, calm.
This is what way to many people do.
They do this until the world below them has changed so much that they dare not climb down.
They will stay there until they die or something forces them of.
Some might be happy with this, but according to me that is a dull and boring life.
You're also preventing anyone else from climbing the tower, thus not only decapitating your life but also the viewpoints'.
The second road is to slowly climb back down.
This might be even worse than staying at the top.
Your relationship will fall apart, piece by piece and only challenges await on the road down, there is nothing new to be seen or experienced, only the same old.
When you reach the bottom you just feel like it didn't matter.
You've already forgotten all you learned while being there and it almost feels like a waste of time.
The third choice is to take a leap of faith.
Jump from the top of the tower.
Instantly leave everything behind and never look back.
You know that something or someone will catch you when you reach the ground.
It might be a rough landing but in the end you gain more than anyone else.
Because you have to realize that once you have climbed to the top of the tower there is nothing more to gain.
You get to see a part of the world and learn a lot of things.
But it's only a small piece of life you experience if you stay at the same place.
There are dozens, hundreds even, of other viewpoints to be climbed.
There is so much more to life than just staying put.
So take a leap and have faith that we, your friends, will catch you and ensure that you are safe.
Look back on this relationship and see all that you have gained.
You just have to understand that it's all a positive experience and the things lost are imagined.

Sorry for the wall of text, I added some minor things while writing.
This is basically my view on love and relationships; when neither parts gain from them, end them swiftly and move on.
You might say "hey, that's not very nice", but I disagree, it's the nicest and most loving thing you can do. This belief doesn't prevent anyone from having a life long relationship as long as it's constantly a living, breathing and challenging one.

You have to live life to its fullest and constantly shake things up. You have one chance to do it right and chaining yourself to a small, certain part of the world is not the right way.

Thoughts? Complaints? Ideas?

I will gladly explain further or discuss this with anyone.

P.S. Sorry if the Assassins Creed text is a little cheesy, it was her favourite game and she didn't understand any other way :)
 

Xyliss

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Mar 21, 2010
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Wait, so you're saying once the original excitement is over in a relationship you should leave them and find someone else? What about those who want to stay in a long-term relationship and not just stay with someone for a while then move on.
 

delet

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Nov 2, 2008
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Oh god, I've cheated on so many towers! They must think I'm a slut...
 

Salem_Wolf

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Jul 9, 2009
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I have to agree with the others, once the mundane and boring sets in, why automatically decide not leaving is boring anyway? Doesn't sound like a fulfilling life. The Assassin's Creed reference was great until the "three choices" came about, instantly I disagreed. Besides, unless you're a really boring person you can always make something fun, no matter how small. The challenge isn't deciding to leap or climb back down, it's making the top of the tower fun and exciting in its own way.
 

Baby Tea

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Sep 18, 2008
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TotalyMoo said:
Either you stay on top of the tower, safe, easy to fend of enemies, easy, calm.
This is what way to many people do.
They do this until the world below them has changed so much that they dare not climb down.
They will stay there until they die or something forces them of.
Some might be happy with this, but according to me that is a dull and boring life.
That is by far the most ridiculous thing I've heard said or written about relationships.
Well, written or said with any shred of seriousness.

If you think being with the same person is dull and boring, then you are with the wrong person. My parents have been married for over 35 years, and they are just as crazy about each other now as they ever were. More so, in fact. I've been married for almost 3 years, have been with her for over 5, and couldn't dream of being with anyone else. Not because 'it's safe', not because 'it's easy' or 'calm'. But because she's a person who challenges me. Who loves me for who I am, faults and all. Because every day is a new experience and she's the only person I want to share it with.

If being in a relationship is climbing a viewpoint in Assassin's Creed, then I found the tower that keeps growing taller every day to help me see more and more and more about the world around me. It's not stationary, it's not hindering me from any new experiences. It's is a rock of certainty in a sea of people running up and down other towers with fickle minds and preposterous ideas about what they 'can get out of' each tower.

I can't help but assume that this post was written by someone who experiences with relationship doesn't go beyond highschool. I'm not meaning to offend, but this notion is simply selfish and childish. If you're in a relationship looking to see what you can get out of it, then you're not ready for a serious relationship.
 

Salem_Wolf

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Jul 9, 2009
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Baby Tea said:
TotalyMoo said:
Either you stay on top of the tower, safe, easy to fend of enemies, easy, calm.
This is what way to many people do.
They do this until the world below them has changed so much that they dare not climb down.
They will stay there until they die or something forces them of.
Some might be happy with this, but according to me that is a dull and boring life.
That is by far the most ridiculous thing I've heard said or written about relationships.
Well, written or said with any shred of seriousness.

If you think being with the same person is dull and boring, then you are with the wrong person. My parents have been married for over 35 years, and they are just as crazy about each other now as they ever were. More so, in fact. I've been married for almost 3 years, have been with her for over 5, and couldn't dream of being with anyone else. Not because 'it's safe', not because 'it's easy' or 'calm'. But because she's a person who challenges me. Who loves me for who I am, faults and all. Because every day is a new experience and she's the only person I want to share it with.

If being in a relationship is climbing a viewpoint in Assassin's Creed, then I found the tower that keeps growing taller every day to help me see more and more and more about the world around me. It's not stationary, it's not hindering me from any new experiences. It's is a rock of certainty in a sea of people running up and down other towers with fickle minds and preposterous ideas about what they 'can get out of' each tower.

I can't help but assume that this post was written by someone who experiences with relationship doesn't go beyond highschool. I'm not meaning to offend, but this notion is simply selfish and childish. If you're in a relationship looking to see what you can get out of it, then you're not ready for a serious relationship.
I'll just do it for everyone else thinking it:

Well said, couldn't have put it better myself. I can safely say /thread. Happy holidays! (There's still New Years!)
 

TotalyMoo

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Sep 16, 2008
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TotalyMoo said:
Sorry for the wall of text, I added some minor things while writing.
This is basically my view on love and relationships; when neither parts gain from them, end them swiftly and move on.
You might say "hey, that's not very nice", but I disagree, it's the nicest and most loving thing you can do. This belief doesn't prevent anyone from having a life long relationship as long as it's constantly a living, breathing and challenging one.

You have to live life to its fullest and constantly shake things up. You have one chance to do it right and chaining yourself to a small, certain part of the world is not the right way.
Thanks for a lot and very good replies.
Though I agree with what you say, you have to realize you're not disagreeing with what I said.
Read above once again with less critical eyes and you will see what I mean.

"This belief doesn't prevent anyone from having a life long relationship as long as it's constantly a living, breathing and challenging one."

Baby Tea: I see why you think I've only been in less serious relations, but you are wrong. I myself have stayed with my girlfriend for 3 years and I plan to stay much, much longer.

The point I am trying to make is that WHEN relationships come to an end you must learn to let go. I probably have to go over and make that more clear in my AC explanation.

Any ideas how to change it so that's more clear?

Salem_Wolf: Don't /thread yet, but happy holidays anyway ;)

Aby_Z: Lol'd

Pararaptor said:
TotalyMoo said:
it might be tall and easy.
Ahahahaha, this is the part I'm going to remember from this post.
I probably phrased that badly. I'm sorry, English is far from my native language.
 

Lord Habbs

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May 24, 2009
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Relationships are like yoghurt...
they can be bitter and they can be sweet...
when you're eating them you're enjoying them
when you're not you're thinking about the bitterness
but if you're offered a yoghurt...you're going to eat it
 

teisjm

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Mar 3, 2009
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I sort of like the analogy of the tower and find it easy t ounderstand though i've never played AC.
But theres one thing about it that strikes me is that it puts your partner in as static position.
Your partner changes moer or less as much as you durring teh durration of your relationship, especially (i think) in the start, if you're young, you get educated, get jobs, careers, move in togetehr, get children etc. All of these things change people, and the frames of the relationship.
Ofc some things get worn out, unliek if you talk to new people all the time, you can't keep talkign about the same things, cause you alrady heard each others stories, and know each others points of view in discussions be they political, economic, relegious or whatever, so you'll get more and more reduced to talking about current recent stuff like: what happened at work today, how aboput that new movie/game/band/politician/neighbor etc.
But thats mainly when it comes to plain talking, theres still lots and lots of stuff you can do together, that isn't revolving aroudn what you've already done or said.
But the main point beeing that a partner is not a static building you climb, they're as living and evloving abeeing as you are.

Ofc i lack the life-long experience/knowledge of a married old person (old as in possibly only a few years left before natural death) beeing only 22 and having been with my girlfrind for only 4 years. So these are thoughts based on what i've learned from my interms of relationships brief experience, and contemplation.

If i should simplify a relationship to a short explanation... i dunno if i can, but i can give it a try.

Very simply, a relationship is something you're in cause you think it makes you happy, or at least happier than the alternative. If/when you end up thinking you're better off not beeing in the relationship, you end it, or try to make it worthwhile.

Thats prolly the simplest way i can explain it, and i doubt everyone will understand it, cause i may ahev different definitions of stuff liek happiness, and a different perspective of what the alternative is, but if anyone has questions to what i mean, fell free to ask.
 

Salem_Wolf

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TotalyMoo said:
Salem_Wolf: Don't /thread yet, but happy holidays anyway ;)
Oh fine fine, I take it back. :p Guess I was a little premature there, I swear it's never happened before though!

Though I still say the AC metaphor was amazing. I just...really really wanted you to know how awesome that is and how likely it is I'll be using it in the future! lol
 

TotalyMoo

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Sep 16, 2008
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Salem_Wolf said:
TotalyMoo said:
Salem_Wolf: Don't /thread yet, but happy holidays anyway ;)
Oh fine fine, I take it back. :p Guess I was a little premature there, I swear it's never happened before though!

Though I still say the AC metaphor was amazing. I just...really really wanted you to know how awesome that is and how likely it is I'll be using it in the future! lol
Help me improve it then, so the second half is as amazing! :D