Relationships
The meanings of the word “relationship” are widely varied and definitely not easy to pin down. Applicable to basically any two discrete units that are in some kind of a relation, or connection, we could say that this broad terminology is too abstract to discuss.
However, if you ask any person how they feel about relationships and whether they’re important or not, they will know immediately what you’re inquiring about and give you a definite answer. Why is that the case? The reason is quite simple – modern society has determined that the word “relationship” refers to love life and having a romantic partner.
The rules of being in a relationship and the expectations of it are largely decided upon by people engaging in such a social endeavor. Whether you’re in it for the fun and to play the game of getting to know another individual or actually testing another person against the parameters of what you consider to be a lifelong partner, it’s always best to find a partner who shares your vision.
Having established that relationships are most commonly associated with love life and romances, it can be said that the proper name of this concept should be “intimate relationship.” This term encompasses both sexual and non-sexual relationships, where there’s either physical or emotional intimacy (or both). The latter involves either liking or loving somebody, regardless of whether it can grow into physical intimacy or not. Emotional intimacy can exist on the purely non-sexual axis, in which case it’s oriented towards family members and friends.
Regardless of what kind of relationship an individual maintains with another person, there are different stages to it and goals to be achieved. Much like with everything else in life, there are pitfalls to be avoided, lest the relationship become a toxic cesspool, hindering the growth of individuals that comprise it.