All couples go through a time when, even if everything goes smoothly, doubts arise: do I really want to stay with her the rest of my life? Certainly, the answer to this question will depend on each case. However, the social sciences and their research have always tried to come up with a solution or at least a guide that helps the undecided dare to cut the relationship or put all the meat on the grill, without hindrance.
In short, they try to find out how people fit together and what qualities they need to bring to a couple to make them last and stay happy. Their efforts have not been in vain and at least they have found seven characteristics and behaviors that make the relationship with the other person desirable. In this case, we will deal with feminine qualities; The turn will come for men.
She is smarter than you
Lawrence Whalley is a professor at the University of Aberdeen and his main subject of study is dementia. According to his research, one of the best antidotes for not developing this disease is to maintain a relationship with an intelligent woman. If possible, more than your partner, because in this way a constant intellectual challenge is fostered that helps keep the mental faculties ready. “There is no better buffer than intelligence,” summarizes the scientist.
Is honest
We all make bad decisions and that is why we want at our side a person who makes us realize our mistake. In short, a couple who dialogue, who give their point of view, who are not afraid to express their opinion and who help us redirect us along the right path. Several studies, like this one from the ‘Journal of Psychology and Human Sexuality’, show that honesty is one of the best valued qualities within a couple.
See the glass half full
You don’t have to be naive, but optimism and seeing things in a positive light really make a difference in a relationship. Because, according to the research of the psychologist Elaine Hatfield, not only do we tend to assume the negativity of our partner, but it can also be detrimental to our health in the long term: increased heart rate and difficulties to digest and even concentrate.
Committed to the relationship
Psychologists from the University of California, Los Angeles analyzed 172 couples during a whopping 11 years. From that long study they concluded that “committing when the relationship is going well is always easy”. However, life is not always a journey of roses and, whether you like it or not, problems will arise at one time or another. That’s when Thomas Bradbury, the study’s lead author, recommends building commitment and tackling obstacles. Both of you must be willing to make some sacrifices to keep the relationship going.
It’s like an open book
A study by the University of Westminster suggests that people who share personal information, who communicate how they feel, and who ultimately have no secrets for their partner are especially attractive. That is to say, a person will be seen by the rest in a more favorable way – handsome, even – if she demonstrates this quality.
Support your goals and pursue your own
Myth or, rather, tradition tells us that men prefer to marry weak women. Nothing further from reality. In the best seller ‘Why Smart Men Marry Smart Women’, sociologist Christine Whelan argues that while the stereotype remains, statistics show that successful, well-educated, and high-income women marry as often as others. In this sense, that each one in the couple maintains their independence, privacy, interests and own goals, even in the long term, is essential for the relationship to last.
Laughs at your jokes
Of course, we all want to have someone by our side who always laughs at our jokes, whether or not they are our partner. However, a study from Westfield State University, Massachusetts, shows that maintaining a relationship with someone who finds your humor funny (or just someone who laughs) is more important to men than women.
