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Analysis of a Relationship Essay

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Fairy tales tell us that once upon a time a girl met a boy; they fell in love, and lived happily ever after. Reality is not that simple. Long-term relationships force couples to get to know each other, involve themselves in each others’ worlds, fight through the hard times, and eventually develop deeper connections as noted through distinctive stages of Knapp’s relationship model. Although I have dated the same person for over two years, our communication through relationship stages makes it seem as though I am now dating a different person than the one I met years ago. Following dissolution and subsequent repair, I realize the most exhilarating of roller coaster rides develop through sets of ups and downs, much like the …show more content…

We only wanted to spend time with each other, making social relationships outside ours difficult. Spending so much time together brought our first conflicts. I soon learned topical boundaries when bringing up other guys or discussing our different religions made John angry and uncomfortable. Conversations ended abruptly and we did not revisit the sensitive topics until much later. As our relationship moved beyond involvement, his protective instincts overpowered everything. I initially welcomed this protection as a sign of caring since I always wanted a boyfriend to protect me from conflict, just like in the movies. However, this overprotective trend stifled me whenever my communications with another guy made John jealous and upset. He tested my feelings for him by manipulating guilt when I looked in the direction of another guy, for whatever reason. At the time, I ignored his jealousy because my strong feelings for him overshadowed my needs as an individual. Looking back, I realize our involvement intensified throughout this period of our relationship, for better and worse.
John evolved into my best friend and, wrapping myself in his world, I disregarded the importance of my core group of friends. We reached interpersonal commitment and all of my time belonged to John. We went to events and hung out according to his time frame, with little consideration for my needs. All John said was “no, I don’t want to do that,” and I respected his decision. Looking

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