Are You Making These Common Dating and Relationship Mistakes? Most Relationships Are Doomed to Fail — And What You Can Do About It

By Allie Mendoza

If you’re making common dating and relationship mistakes, your relationship may be doomed to fail.

We’ve all been bombarded with so much misinformation — from fairytales and other bedtime stories we’ve been told as children to television shows and movies we’ve seen as we were growing up — it’s hardly surprising that we’re confused about what is required to have a great relationship. Since most people don’t know what to do about them, most relationships are doomed to fail!

by Steve Wampler

Most of the things we think we “know” about relationships are totally wrong — and they can lead us to the wrong partners. What’s even worse is that this faulty thinking can make us walk away from a potentially great relationship with the right partner.

Many relationships don’t work because decisions we make and expectations we have about them are often based on the following myths or faulty thinking:

• Love conquers all — No matter how much you love each other, you still may not be able to overcome serious problems and conflicts. It takes a lot of hard work to resolve problems and conflicts.
• It was love at first sight when you met each other — You probably had lust at first sight when you met, but instant chemistry doesn’t necessarily mean you’re with the right person. It takes time to really get to know someone.
• In an ideal relationship, your partner should fulfill you in every way — We all have the realities of our lives to deal with. Stress, illnesses, disappointments, frustrations, hurt feelings, responsibilities and obligations can keep most people from being fulfilled at some point in a relationship.
• If your partner loves you, (s)he should know what you want or need — Your partner can not guess or read what’s in your mind.

There are so many other common assumptions about relationships that end up causing problems for couples.

Most people think that great relationships are “found” instead of nurtured; so, they go from one relationship to another trying to “find” the “right” one — they’re always hoping that something will eventually “click”. Unfortunately, this faulty thinking leads to a lot of disappointments, heartaches and unhappiness for most people.

Learning from couples with satisfying relationships can be helpful in correcting faulty thinking, but most people do not have “role models” for great relationships. And appearances can be deceiving; for example, some couples that appear to have lasting and satisfying relationships are actually just staying together in spite of being miserable.

Does this mean that it’s not possible to have a great relationship? No, it doesn’t mean that at all. It just means that the odds are against many relationships from lasting and being satisfying; so, the only way to have a great relationship is to find a way to learn the necessary relationship-building skills to make it happen and to nurture it.

How can you avoid making the most common love, dating and relationship mistakes?

• By taking the time to get to know your partner, you won’t end up trying to build a relationship with someone who is totally wrong for you and your values.
• By developing effective communication and listening skills, you can understand your partner’s needs as well as express your own needs more effectively. By learning these crucial relationship skills, you can increase your chances of having your partner’s needs and your own needs met. Both of you can, hopefully, feel heard and understood by the other.

By developing more effective relationship skills instead of making assumptions about your partner, you can avoid or resolve dating problems. By loving smarter, you can avoid or get out of troubled relationships. Instead of getting stuck in an unsatisfying dating patterns, you can build a deeper and more meaningful relationship with someone special.

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