My fundamental definition of love has always been: when someone considers your feelings and well-being as much as they consider their own. Of course there are so many other layers, so perfectly laid out in the Robert Sternberg model posted by DrShephard. Most of these dimensions I have experienced throughout the years. After spending nine years in three consecutive relationships, I took a purposeful hiatus at 27 to spend some time with myself. Dating periodically these past five years - with nothing special to catch my attention - until I moved to a new town and met a guy through Match.
We’ve been dating nearly a year now and I am now finding myself bored and irritable. I am discovering now how much I long for the single days of solace. It started off passionate and intense, yet these past few months finding that we lack commonality and connection. The intimacy & passion is no longer present and I am becoming increasingly frustrated and irritable. He’s nice enough, stable and such, however boredom has settled in and the interaction is stale and mundane. Keenly aware these past few months that I should let it go, I tried twice to have the “break up” discussion, but caved when he interpreted my concerns as an opportunity for remediation.
Both attempts failed due to lacking the courage of conviction, and without any fatal offense to finalize things, I caved. Still unhappy with the stagnation, I pose this question to the forum:
Why is it so difficult to leave this type of relationship when you know that it’s just not for you?
There is so much more to this, but I am new here and am curious about the insight this forum may have…