How Do Relationships Ever Progress?

By Karen Card

Everyone’s goal in a relationship is to be in a happy. However, men and women may view their happiness differently. As women become comfortable in a new relationship, they tend to want to move up to the next level as soon as possible. If she is happy at the present level, she believes she will be even happier at the next level. If dating feels good, she believes being engaged must feel even better; if being engaged feels good, then being married must feel even better. She is always striving for the next level.

On the other hand, men tend to follow the old saying, “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it”. If a man is happy at the present level of his relationship, he wants to keep it right where it is. He feels if they move to another level, there is a chance he won’t be as happy. Any time there is a change – in any area of his life – there is a chance he could feel worse and not better. He is striving to keep the relationship at the current level of happiness.

There is a great distance between the beliefs of men and women when it comes to progressing through a relationship. The important thing to keep in mind is that these differences in beliefs are not based on the individuals, but rather on the differences in the sexes.

Advice to Men: Understand it is natural for a woman to want to move ahead. She can not completely open up to you until she feels you are moving to the next level. This is just how woman are.

Advice to Women: Realize him dragging his feet is natural and do not take it personally. Let him know you cannot fully enjoy the relationship until it moves forward – but do not pressure him into moving. If you try to move him forward too fast, he will resist you even harder.

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