ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS: The need for it!

In our daily lives, we humans do need one thing or the other to ensure our wellbeing and daily survival. I do not need to remind us, that we are social beings and a core part of us crave relationships which is particularly integral to our everyday survival. 

Romantic relationships, which this article is mainly concerned about, has been in existence since creation. Romantic relationships is also essential in the continuation of life. In this day and age, romantic relationships have gone beyond ensuring the continuation of life, reason why I have taken the effort with the help of my contemporaries to write this article. This article is in line with the last one which was on “RELATIONSHIPS: why do people go into relationships”. As with the last article I sought the help of my contemporaries in providing insightful answers as regards the topic of discussion.

The need for romantic relationships cannot be far-fetched seeing how important companionship, a sense of love, warmth and appreciation is needed in this modern world. The world we live in, is fast paced, where individuals face a lot of challenges on a daily basis. As humans, we have blood running through our veins and not water. Our mental and emotional health is largely impacted by the social factors involved which can either break or build us. Seeing this, the need for a support system is a no brainer here.

This clearly asserts the common saying that “no man is an island”. Though the interpretation of this saying might not apply directly to the subject of discussion it can be used as a pointer to the imagery we are trying to paint. Definitely, the need for companionship necessitates going into a romantic relationship. 

It should be noted that the scenario above, is not ideal for every individual, as people find support systems from different places rather than finding it in another individual. 

Sex in this day and age has been objectified, young adults and even teenagers go into relationships not for marriage, companionship, a support system or any other reason you can think of but to simply satisfy the gratifying urges of canal knowledge. 

The topic of sex is a very delicate one, this is because of a lot of different cultural and behavioural patterns attached to this act. In Africa it is widely believed, though it doesn’t hold a firm basis, that the act of intercourse involves spiritual connection, a form of oath, or basically a form of binding between two individuals. In the western part of the world, it is not seen in this way, rather it is seen as a form of pleasure, a sport, a form of job as in sex workers, a form of play between individuals and a show of love and affection. 

Nigeria is seen to be a highly religious country if not the most religious country in the world. This factor affects or influences how we perceive and relate to the topic of sex. The holy books preach purity and recommends indulging in any form of sexual activity only after marriage. Mind I remind you that no one should be judged as regards their beliefs as regards the topic of sex, for even the holy books preach against judgmental behaviours and people.

Well, with all that is stated as related to sex, every individual has his or her reasons for engaging in the act, reason many people consider it a major need in going into romantic relationships. 

As social beings, we tend to venture into romantic relationships in order to connect with the opposite sex better. This in turn, helps us understand the chemistry of the opposite gender, relate to them better and see situational occurrences better from their point of view. 

Act of showing love is another need for romantic relationships. One of my contemporaries pointed to the fact that people engage in romantic relationships because they have found their true love. This might not seem correct on a personal scale seeing I do not believe in love at first sight. Well, as spirit beings it is important to note that our conscience leads us aright most of the time. 

To love is to love yourself, be confident about yourself, and very crucial is to be able to make yourself happy. Without these, you cannot in anyway show love to the opposite gender in the best possible way. Failure to love yourself, in turn creates the problem of ‘breakfast’ which is responsible for a lot of emotional pain which in turn leads to emotional poisoning. 

Whilst we see the act of showing affection as a need for romantic relationships, it is most beneficial for both individuals to firstly love themselves, find happiness and fulfillment in themselves, before going ahead to love someone else.

We all see different needs for a romantic relationships. A perfect relationship can be achieved if we do not seek to change the individual or person we plan on having a relationship with, but rather accepting the individual for whoever they are, respect their freedom and personal boundaries, and also not raising your own expectations. If this is not the case I strongly advise you do not need to engage in such relationship then.