The Naked Truth | Why a long-distance relationship is like an endurance race, and how your love can pass the test of being apart
Being apart helps couples develop a different kind of intimacy than one built on pure physical attraction, and can strengthen bonds. But a long-distance relationship that starts online can give two people a false sense of attraction
You often hear people say, “If you want to live together, you must first learn how to live apart.” Almost in the same breath, the same people will probably tell you that long-distance relationships often fail. So which should you believe?
Besides building an intimate, loving, and trusting bond between two people, a good and healthy romantic relationship should also give couples room to grow together as well as independently. It’s often advocated that we give our partner ample space to avoid stifling them.
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Being in a long-distance relationship is like taking part in an endurance race that stretches and tests your human capabilities. The distance and time apart constantly put your love to the test, challenge your trust of, and commitment to, each other, and sometimes push your patience to breaking point.
But if it all goes well and you both manage to survive the challenge, it can also act as a catalyst to create emotional synergy so that both parties emerge better and stronger as a couple.
Valentina Tudose, a relationship expert at Happy Ever After, a dating agency, examines the pros and cons of long-distance love.
Long-distance relationships ... need to lead to the ultimate goal of a life together
“Long distance relationships (LDRs) are a great opportunity for a couple to take it slow and spend time focusing on discovering how compatible they really are. This means they can explore if they have a common vision of life, whether they have similar values and expectations, and it also helps them avoid making relationship decisions based on chemistry and physical attraction alone.