Current Mood: Cynical
Music Playing: Beautiful Soul by Jesse McCartney

Lately I’ve been busy studying for the courses I am taking this summer and my post count isn’t really making this blog look pretty, for that I apologize and I promise to update every once in a while. So what have I been studying as of late? For starters, I am reading up eighteen chapters for my Human Development classes because I would be having my midterms next week. Secondly, Biochemistry reports, tests and quizzes will be due next next week, so its not much of a problem right now.

And now for the topic, lately I have been reading my Human Development book by Robert S. Feldman and the read is really enjoying. On the twelfth chapter I found this interesting chapter about Relationships and how one can move beyond friendship. Since I am the cynic when it comes to matters like this, I felt compelled to read about it so it could bring some sensible light to my pseudo-realistic outlook of the matter.

According to Robert S. Feldman, Relations that move beyond the friendship status occur when two people feel emotionally attached, fulfill each other’s needs, and generally feel interdependent. Several Components are present when in a relationship:

• Trust – Relations must be built on a foundation of trust. We need to be able to count on others and feel that they are open with us.
• Honesty – A relationship could not last without both sides being completely honest with each other. Each partner must share a commitment to the truth. This also serves as a healthy buffer for trust.
• Mutual Support – Healthy relationships are characterized by mutual support. A partner’s well-being should have an impact an impact on you, and your well-being should affect your partner.
• Loyalty – Loyalty implies that relationship partners are supportive to each other, even in times of adversity and difficulty.
• Acceptance – Small annoyances should not get in the way of the deeper connection between you and another person. All of use wish to be accepted by others as we are, not as they’d like us to be; we should offer the same approval to those with whom we maintain relationships.
• Willingness to embrace change – Change is part of everyone’s life. As people grow and develop, they change. So do relationships. We need to accept the change as a fundamental part of relationships and build upon that change. In fact, we need to welcome change. Although change brings challenges with it, it also helps us to understand ourselves and our own place in the world more accurately.

Interesting as it seems, I would agree to most of the statements Feldman mentioned in this subject (there are more in his book, but I just placed the basic rules) but looking at it in a more cynical way I would say that even the most “loyal” man have a dark secret hidden from his lover no matter how true he claims to be. From my beliefs, Ego and Pride are the two biggest barriers to loyalty and honesty. A desperate man can easily say that he loves a woman but in fact he just wants to be with the woman because there are no other women who would take him in a relationship. Ego is the biggest problem a guy could have during and not during a relationship in my understanding, and a man’s ego has always set the borders between a man and his conscience.

We really shouldn’t be playing with peoples emotions, but could we really help ourselves from producing these problems? My answer is Yes, but it would require a deeper understanding of one’s ego to even grasp the concept of Honesty and/or Loyalty. I have a friend who posted something somewhat related to this topic too. He is a good friend and I really acknowledge his point of view among the things that surrounds us. Here is his link: Mechantrophe

And now for something to help you cheer-up and understand relationships in a more comical fashion. License to Wed is a funny movie of two couples planning on marrying each other until the girls family pastor seems to get in the way for both parties by having them take a Marriage Course which is mandatory to his standards. The movie is sure to tickle your funny bones with the hilarious jokes of Reverend Frank (Robin Williams) and I guarantee you that you won’t really regret it. I’d give it a 7 / 10 ^^