Defining Characteristics of Close Relationship

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Cassandra Day 2/8/2013 Week two checkpoint The defining characteristics of a close relationship are knowledge, trust, caring, interdependence, mutuality, and commitment. Knowledge is the mutual understanding based on reciprocal self disclosure. Trust is the assumption of no harm will be done by the other; keeping confidences. Caring is a genuine concern for the other and ongoing monitoring and maintenance of the relationship. Interdependence is the intertwining of lives and mutual influence. Mutuality is the sense of "we-ness" and overlapping of lives. Commitment is the intention to stay in the relationship through it's ups and downs. Sharing personal information that you otherwise would not share in the company of strangers or acquaintances with someone you are close with opens you up for the opportunity for developing a deeper connection with that person( Baumgardner & Crothers 2009). To have a healthy and successful close relationship then all these characteristics must be present. It doesn't work if you have everything except commitment or trust. It works together to make you happy and become one with someone you truly care about and want to spend the rest of your life with. Being friends before dating will help you to build on all these characteristics before deciding weather or not you want to take it to a more intimate level. This chapter has taught me so much about having a successful and healthy marriage and I've been talking to my husband hoping that we can talk about some of the things I read in this chapter to make use

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