What constitutes a meaningful relationship?
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A relationship is such a broad term. This opinion piece concerns mainly a person-to-person/ people-to-people relationship. Below I will share 3 characteristics of a relationship which I consider as important and meaningful. Although these traits may sound simplistic in theory, we often fail to apply it in practice.
#1. Honesty
There is a good saying, honesty is the best policy. As far as any relationship is considered, I believe honesty comes first. Honesty is best practiced through such important moral characters as truthfulness, loyalty, fairness and sincerity. Thereof, it is the building block of trust. If there is no trust, there is no value or meaning in that relationship.
#2. Respect
Up next comes, respect. No matter what the situation is, have a respect towards the next person. This means, even if that person has an opposite/contrary viewpoint against yours, be tolerant and respect his/hers as well. Showing respect to others is also a way of self-respect. Even if next person acts or talks inappropriately, show respect to his/her as a writer Robin Sharma said it well, “the respect you give others is a dramatic reflection of the respect you give yourself.”
#3. Humility
Another important aspect of a good relationship is being humble. Humility and respect can be seen as the two sides of the same coin. This is because only when you are humble enough, you can show respect to others. Unfortunately, in today’s society, negative traits such as arrogance, envy and hostility seem to be on the front line. Unless these negative attitudes are suppressed, it is difficult to build a meaningful relationship.
To sum up, of course, a good and meaningful relationship is not limited to these three, but in my opinion, when honesty, respect, and humility are present in a relationship, it will last longer and thus, making the relationship much healthier and meaningful.
Written on April 22, 2020.
