There are plenty of people out there who just yearn to learn more about the nature of relationships and the fundamentals behind forming strong and intimate bonds with other people. People who are already in relationships of their own are always looking for ways to constantly get closer to their partners; to connect more and strengthen the foundations of their relationship.
And this article is going to try to shed light on one very specific, but also very important, branch of being in a relationship with someone – intimacy. Contrary to popular belief, intimacy is not something that is acquired instantly in a relationship. And it’s also not something that stays stagnant over the course of an extended period of time either.
Intimacy is something that is continuously built and worked on. And it’s something that a relationship can always have more of or have less of depending on the effort that they actually put into it.
But intimacy in itself is not an easy concept to grasp. It has a lot of depth within itself that a lot of people are still struggling to uncover. And there’s a reason for that. No relationship could possibly ever survive or thrive without first establishing a solid foundation of intimacy. And once that intimacy evaporates from a relationship, then the bond that keeps two people together is dissolved as well.
That’s why if you are interested in genuinely making your relationships work, then you need to be doing your best to expand your understanding of what intimacy really is and what it entails. You always want to be maintaining a strong and intimate relationship with your partner. And if you know what it means to be intimate with the one you love, then you have to familiarize yourself with the various elements that actually make up an intimate relationship.
1. Interdependence
An intimate relationship is one where interdependence has a very significant presence. This interdependence manifests itself in two people who defer to one another for decision-making and planning.
There is also a play of influence here. And it can cover the littlest things as well as the biggest issues in a relationship. Interdependence plays a role in two people deciding what to have for dinner or where to build a house for their future lives.
2. Trust
Trust. There can be no real intimacy in a relationship between two individuals who are incapable of trusting one another. If you want to be truly intimate, you must always trust that your partner is going to be there for you no matter what.
Insecurity can keep two people from being intimate with one another. But trust has a way of just completely driving out insecurity altogether.
3. Responsiveness
Responsiveness is always key to building intimacy with another person. Whenever your partner expresses a certain need or requirement, it’s important that you stay responsive to those needs. If you fail to respond, you are essentially expressing little care for the relationship as a whole. And that can drive a wedge between the two of you.
4. Knowledge
When you want to form a deep and profound relationship with a person that is built on intimacy, then you’re going to want to open yourself up to this individual. You have to feel comfortable with sharing parts of your life with this individual that you would never typically share with other people.
And you should be affording your partner the same kind of privilege. They should always feel free to open up to you about whatever might be on their mind or in their hearts. The more you know about one another, the closer you feel.
5. Mutuality
In a truly intimate relationship, a person’s philosophy gradually shifts from an individual perspective to a collective one. It’s rarely ever a matter of “me” as it is a matter of “us” for truly intimate couples. A lot of life is composed of two people sharing as much as they can with one another – including roles, duties, sentiments, and responsibilities.
6. Commitment
Of course, in a relationship that is built on intimacy, commitment is key. Intimacy isn’t something that is merely there throughout the entire duration of the relationship with minimal intervention. Intimacy is something that a person must really commit to building all throughout the stretch of a relationship.
7. Care
Care is going to be one of the most important pillars of forming a strong and intimate relationship with a partner. In a truly intimate relationship, two people are always going to care a lot about the other person’s overall mood, welfare, and well-being.
You should always be making it a point to stay mindful of the needs of your partner. And you must also do your part in ensuring that their needs and standards are always being met or satisfied. There can’t be intimacy between two people who only care about their personal wants and selfish desires.
