Five situations where you might make better friends than lovers! Sometimes, even though you would hate to admit it, some friends should never become couples. While each relationship is different and almost all obstacles can be overcome, here are 5 situations in which you might want to consider just being friends.
#1 Your future goals are completely different.
Future goals play an important part in any relationship. If you are ambitious and your partner is not, then there may come a time when you realize that there is quite a gulf between you. The experiences of today, shape who you will become tomorrow. With the gulf in ambition, there could come a time when you just grow apart.
#2 You have different core beliefs.
Every couple needs to have some basic common points of agreement in order to succeed. These "agreements" could be as simple as you both know you want children, or that you both have similar moral values. While different points of view are often healthy for a relationship, some differences maybe a little too difficult to bridge. If you cannot find workable comprises to these differences, then it would probably be better to just be friends.
#3 Your relationship is purely sexual.
While sex is an essential and integral part of any relationship, a relationship built solely on sex is probably not going to go far. When "your place or mine" sums up the extent of your conversation then you really should consider just being friends… with a few benefits here and there.
#4 One of you is more committed than the other.
One of the hardest situations to deal with is when one partner is obviously more committed to the relationship than the other. It may be because one loves the other more, or it could be that one of you is just not ready to make a commitment yet. Such situations often cause resentment to build up, probably on both sides. If this is happening to you, consider cooling it for a while until you are both ready for the next step.
#5 You were more loving as friends.
A friend of mine once described the relationship between himself and his ex-wife as "great friends that should never have gotten married." That got me thinking and I realized that, with relationships come responsibilities and expectations that are not present between friends. If these added responsibilities and expectations are causing you to spend more time arguing and fighting than loving, then you might want to go back to what was successful for you… just being friends.
Remember, deciding whether or not to stay in a relationship is not a decision to be taken lightly and every relationship is different. The chances are, if you are reading this article then you probably are having a few doubts about your relationship. When making your decision, make sure you are not just having a "bad relationship day" and make your decisions for the long term. The above situations are just some guidelines to help you on your way.
