What does it mean to have unconditional love in a relationship? What are the signs that may indicate that you have this type of love for the other person. Find out how to work on it.
He unconditional love It involves offering affection without wanting something in return. That is, you simply love the person next to you and you want their well-being and happiness. This type of love is usually associated with family more than with relationships, although it can occur in both cases. So, what does unconditional love entail in a romantic relationship?
Many people believe that the unconditional love It is what is received in a family. This is because there is a belief that the bond between a father or mother for a child is not broken despite the person’s attitude.
Actually, unconditional love It involves caring about the other person’s happiness without their actions or behaviors benefiting you. In fact, research shows that loving someone unconditionally often activates the parts of the brain that are linked to the brain’s reward system.
What does unconditional love mean?
This type of love is about offering selfless acts to the person next to you. In this way, unconditional love implies the following:
Generates security: He unconditional love provides a sense of security in both childhood and adulthood. That is, by feeling confident in someone’s love and being clear that it will not disappear, you create a secure bond and foster self-esteem, as well as the independence of both parties. In the family context, this implies that the child is loved despite the fact that he/she makes certain mistakes, which promotes the personal security of the children. When we talk in the context of friendship, this type of love implies knowing how to overcome conflicts or even maintaining the relationship even if contact has been lost. Finally, in the case of romantic relationships, this would imply that this love does not disappear even though there are health, appearance or personality conditions that change the other person.
It is altruistic: This implies that we do actions without expecting a benefit from them. Therefore, altruism means that you do not seek something in return when you are loving someone.
It implies acceptance and forgiveness: Nobody is perfect. Thus, unconditional love It also implies knowing how to accept and forgive the other person. This does not mean that you tolerate all of your partner’s actions or decisions, but it does mean that you know how to recognize when someone will not change and take steps to protect your well-being.
In many cases, there are beliefs about what it is unconditional love that can end up causing harmful or toxic dynamics in a relationship. We must keep in mind that there is a difference between forgiving or accepting others and tolerating harmful actions towards us. In this way, unconditional love does not imply the following:
Not facing problems in a relationship: That differences appear in a relationship is completely normal and healthy. He unconditional love It doesn’t mean you avoid conflict or don’t confront problematic behavior. On the contrary, it does involve working together to rebuild trust in a relationship.
Neglecting your own needs: He unconditional love It may involve a certain sacrifice towards others, but this does not mean that you cannot refuse some requests from the other person. Knowing how to set limits on those things you don’t want to do is also part of this type of love.
Tolerate abuse: If your partner, family member or friend abuses you (whether verbally or physically) it should not be tolerated. He unconditional love It does not imply accepting these cases, since it is a bond that benefits both parties without harming.
How to encourage unconditional love?
For love someone unconditionally that is, to have a healthier relationship, we should work on the following:
Improve communication: The key to any healthy relationship is having good communication. To do this, it is necessary that you both give your points of view and expose any problems that may arise within the relationship.
Don’t be defensive: Sometimes people can become defensive when trying to express their feelings. To avoid this attitude, it is vital to know how to express your feelings while listening to others and taking their suggestions into account.
Don’t just focus on the negative: It is normal for disputes to arise within a relationship. When this happens, we sometimes tend to focus on the negative of this bond. Instead, also pay attention to the positive things in your relationship.
Go to therapy : If you want your relationship to be healthier, sometimes it is advisable to go to therapy. Especially in those cases where you have been working on certain aspects for years that you cannot solve.
The key to have unconditional love in your relationships , is that you also treat yourself that way. Therefore, taking care of our interior and exterior is a good way to improve our ties with others.
