All relationships have the potential to be both healthy and unhealthy.
Here are signs of healthy relationships:
1. People are close because they choose to be. It is not forced, obligated, manufactured or pretended.
2. Sarcasm is never used. Remember sarcasm is the use of words so as to intentionally hurt or wound another.
3. Individuals can be unpredictable and free. Forgiveness is easily given both to others and self.
4. No one ever dominates, manipulates or intimidates anyone.
5. People listen.
6. People do not pretend they are okay when they are not.
7. People do not spend a lot of time analyzing their relationships.
8. People have both individual and shared goals.
9. Each person is permitted and indeed encouraged to speak, plan, choose and feel for him or herself. Others do not usurp these important functions: the individual is given his or her complete freedom.
10. People understand it is more important to love than it is to be right or to win.
11. People laugh a lot but not at each other.
12. People do not use each other to further their own (often hidden) goals.
Copyright, Rod E. Smith, 1998
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