What we can learn from the animal kingdoms about long-term relationships

The secret to long-lasting marriages is a regular topic of conversation when it comes to a couple about to tie the knot. Newlyweds are no stranger to the same questions about intentions, and differences in opinions. There’s a constant barrage of advice, usually unsolicited, being thrown at people in these early stages of relationships. Is the secret communication? Is it having the same political beliefs? Is it living by the moniker of “happy wife, happy life”? Spoilers: it’s not any of these things alone.

There are a limited number of species who breed for life on this planet. Most of them seem to be of an Avian persuasion. When the behaviors of these animals were studied and compared pair by pair, the most successful mating pairs were found to have a single trait in common. That is a consistent bid for attention being addressed in a very short amount of time.

Every time one bird chirped or cawed in order to get the attention of its mate the most successful pairs had the shortest response time. Those consistent bids for attention and their responses were the best indicator of a successful breeding pair.

Translating this to your relationships is easy. When your partner asks for your attention. In any manner. Whether it is just them telling you about their days when they come home from work or in bed at night when you discuss the events of the upcoming day.

Small things are the building blocks to successful relationships and little habit build and build over time. The little things are the ones that count. It may seem small to make eye contact with your partner every time they want to tell you something. It matters. Everyone has different goals and needs when it comes to the relationship that they have with a partner. Please make sure that you treat your partner with the love and care you wish to receive.

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Rasha

Rasha writes about family, parenting, and home décor for Unfinished Man. Drawing from her experiences raising her own kids, she provides tips on creating warm, welcoming spaces. Rasha also shares home staging expertise to help transform houses into magazine-worthy dream homes.

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