Very often women consider love to be the most important part of relationships. While love is certainly important, respect is even more so. In fact, without respect from your partner there can be no real love. Respect is what will cause him to give you the space to make important decisions and support you in them, instead of putting you down or ignoring your wishes in areas that are important to you, but may not be as important to him.
Some people consider love to be respect but the two are not the same. You can have respect for someone you don’t even like all that much if they do something that you can see is difficult for them. That said, you can love someone but not respect them. You may love your father who is a drunkard, but you cannot respect him because of his behaviour.
Some people – especially men – consider love to be what happens in the bedroom. That is only a small part of real love. Real love will care for a person even if they cannot have sex with them. Real love will remain steadfast through difficult times – and old age. But if there is no respect, the road will be a rocky one. The relationship may not even survive.
If your partner has respect for you, your wishes and feelings on any subject will be valuable to them and they will always consider them before making decisions. In fact, they won’t make a decision that affects the relationship without consulting you and discussing your wishes.
So what is likely to happen in a relationship when there is no respect?
- Your spouse/partner will go out without telling you where he is going or when he will be home.
- He will spend on big ticket items without telling you or consulting with you.
- There will be no offer to help in the home even though you both work equal hours.
- He will invite friends home without telling you or making an effort to arrange it for a time that suits you.
- Music will be played the way he likes it in spite of you hating it too loud/soft.
- He will watch what he wants on television and never what you want to watch.
- He will spend hours watching TV sports or playing his computer instead of spending time with you.
- He will expect to have sex whenever it suits him – and sulk when you won’t/can’t.
These are only a few of the things that may happen in a relationship where there is no respect. However, it gives you some idea of how a partner who claims to love and respect you, should act towards you.