Different Types of Relationships

An interpersonal relationship refers to the association, connection, interaction and bond between two or more people. There are many types of relationships. This section focuses on four types of relationships: Family relationships, Friendships, Acquaintanceship and Romantic relationships.

Family Relationships

Our family, or relatives are people we are connected to through some form of kinship, whether it is through blood (such as with parents, brothers and sisters), marriage (such as non-blood aunts and uncles or stepparents) romantic relationships (such as a parent’s girlfriend or boyfriend) or adoption. Family includes siblings and parents who you may see every day growing up, and other relatives such as cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents who you may not see quote so frequently. Families come in many forms, for example single-parent families, stepfamilies, homes with gay and lesbian parents etc. Ideally, people should have strong relationships with their families, although this does not always happen.

“When we love, we always strive to become better than we are. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.”

                     They should feel love and closeness for their relatives, and be able to confide in them and discuss personal things. A key role of parents and older relatives is to offer guidance, support and, where needed, boundaries and discipline. As families are so close and spend so much time together, arguments and disagreements can arise, but in most families, these are short-lived and even in moments of anger or hurt, families still love and care about each other. Family relationships are ideally life-long, although as children become teenagers and then adults, it is usual for them to have more independence and for the parental relationship to become less one of guidance and more one of mutual support.

Friends

Friends are people who we are not related to but choose to interact with. Friends are people we trust, respect, care about and feel that we can confide in and want to spend time with. A good friendship should be built on honesty, support and loyalty. A friendship is a reciprocal relationship; for it to exist, both people must see each other as a friend. There are varying degrees of friendship. You may find that you feel closer to some friends than others. This is perfectly normal. Some friends, especially if they have only been known for a short time or are not seen very often, may not be appropriate to confide in about personal issues or concerns. You may find that you feel more comfortable and able to confide in friends whom you have known for longer or spend more time with. Friends who are very close and know each other well are sometimes referred to as “best friends”.

“Love that stammers, that stutters, is apt to be the love that loves best.”

Acquaintances

Acquaintances are people you may encounter regularly, but who are not friends or relatives. For example, they may be a neighbor who lives in your road that you say “hello” to if you see them in passing, or a colleague or someone you have seen a few times at a social event but do not yet know well. It is important to be polite and respectful to acquaintances as having harmonious relationships with people around you, such as work colleagues, people from college, neighbors etc. is an important way of avoiding stress or conflict. In some cases, relationships that start as acquaintanceship can, over time, evolve into friendships as you get to know the person better and see them more frequently.

"I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where. I love you simply, without problems or pride: I love you in this way because I do not know any other way of loving but this, in which there is no I or you, so intimate that your hand upon my chest is my hand, so intimate that when I fall asleep your eyes close."

Romantic Relationships

A romantic relationship is one in which you feel very strongly attracted to the other person, both to their personality and, often, also physically. This is reciprocated by the other person in the relationship. A romantic relationship is that which exists between a boyfriend and girlfriend  or a boyfriend and boyfriend or girlfriend and girlfriend  or spouses (in a marriage) or life partners (in a civil partnership or long-term unmarried relationship). People in a romantic relationship will see each other very often and when apart my frequently stay in contact, for example by phone. Some people in romantic relationships live together.

           A romantic relationship is the closest form of relationship, and the two people involved will often describe themselves as being attracted to each other and/or “in love”. They feel an incredibly strong connection and bond to each other that they do not feel with anyone else, even close friends, and the bond is also exclusive and monogamous.  Successful Romantic relationships are built on love, trust, respect, support, acceptance, shared interests and a desire for the two people involved to share their lives together. Some people in relationships may choose to have children. As this is such a close relationship, various kinds of physical contact are accepted which would not be appropriate in any other kind of relationship. These include prolonged cuddling and holding, kissing on the lips, however it should still mutually agreed. Sometimes arguments and disagreements occur in romantic relationships. In strong relationships, these arguments can be overcome through effective communication, understanding and compromise, but in other cases, especially if there are frequent arguments, the two people involved my decide to terminate the relationship. Relationships can be of varying duration. In some relationships, it quickly becomes apparent that the two people involved are not compatible and do not want to spend their lives together, and so the relationship may end after only a few months. In other cases, the two people may be together for many years or may stay together for the rest of their lives.