Life Partner vs Long Term Relationship
Life Partners are the romantic or platonic relationships added into a person’s life to improve relationships and add happiness to a person’s life. Usually a life partner can be a spouse. In Asian households, the majority of the time it is a marital relationship. The other relationships other than a matrimonial wedlock are rare depending upon the cultural expectations and societal norms. However, a love bond is the base of finding a relationship.
While choosing a life partner sometimes it is when you need to keep in preference the possibility after a long term relationship. There can be certain differences as a non-ideal long term relationship can be predicted with a partner, no matter how much emotions are involved both, a life partner and a long term relationship demand effort and prioritization of goals and symphony.
That is a possible condition, where you share a long term relationship with your love partner, but necessarily not a life partner. A love partner can be your past followed by present, that is usually a life partner.
Similarities between a life partner and a long term relationship:
A long term relationship and a life partner both are usually necessary for a happy life style for both of the partners. Here are some basic similarities between a life partner and a long term relationship that need effort and sincerity.
Both Demand Loyalty and Sincerity:
A relationship that is meant to keep at a long term requires sincerity. Relationships without sincerity are just compromises or the drainage of energy by either of the partners. Similarly, while spending time with a life partner it demands to be sincere and loyal. Without sincerity, a life partner cannot be counted as someone to share emotions with.
Communication is Necessary:
For both situations, life in a long term relationship, or with a life partner, communication improves the barrier between both the partners. Either it is a matrimonial relationship or a time together with a life partner, a transparent communication on a table is needed for the normal progression of the relationship. Sometimes misunderstandings arise when there is an absence of communication.
Sharing of Responsibilities:
Either it is a life long relationship, or a time with your life partner, you both need to take and share some basic responsibilities. However, the genre of responsibilities can be different but usually the responsibilities demand efforts and emotional intimacies.
Source of Peace and Joy:
A relationship expects a complete setup that is the basic pillar of joy and peace together. Sometimes it is associated with planning a family, while in a long-term relationship the joy can be associated with adventures, tourism and other such life goals.
Emotional Support:
Emotional support and care is a very important hallmark of a relationship, that is long term or is shared with a life partner. For example, Cheering Up on each other’s success and providing a shoulder to cry on is a basic support of both the relationships .Sometimes emotional support is the reason a person chooses the emotional support of another one and counts him/her as a life partner.
Differences Between a Life Partner and a Long Term Relationship:
1.Permanence :
A life partner is for life long, usually associated with decisions and selective choices. Usually, a life partner can come after a long term relationship with your life partner. Sometimes finding the right partner might take up some relationships but not a sure one until one comes to the right one. Permanent relationship is with that of a life partner. Long term relationships have a full stop that can be ended after a long term usually after months or years. However, life partners can achieve the status of permanence
2. A Formal Contract:
Life partners are usually associated in a bond that arise after a formal contract, marriage/adoption etc. However, a long term relationship is not under any formal contract and can be withdrawn directly without the complete procedure. A formal contract is followed by legal procedure, and then a complete regular union, or separation, depending on the genre of the bond formed.
3. Societal Necessity or a Choice:
A long term relationship is completely a personal choice, while choosing a life partner is the demand of the society. Usually, a life with a life partner is associated with societal necessity and having a life partner is considered a completion of the person’s life. When it is associated with a complete set and code of ethics, it is more obvious that life with life partners is associated with society norms and traditions. While a long term relationship is usually an autonomy based relationship that is free and irrespective of any customs and traditional values. Following the personal choice might be a bit difficult to implement because it is a clear cut challenge to the society norms.
4. Goals and Future Planning:
In a long term relationship, it is possible that it ends without a formal statement. In such relationships, goals and future planning is associated with flexibility and compromises but not compulsion. However, a life partner often involves shared long term goals and visions.
Goals and future planning with a life partner can be either personal or professional depending upon how both partners are planning to heed without disagreements. Life partner’s goal is usually family oriented even if it is of the professional nature e.g. choosing a job that allows time for family and kids etc.
5.Level of Intimacy:
Usually, intimacy level in a long term relationship might be low as compared to a love bond with a relationship. In a long term relationship, there are usually independent and different types of coping mechanisms associated with intimacy and expression of feelings. Life partners are usually involved in a romantic relationship, and the expression of love can be much different and unique. Life partner kind of relationships show love and intimacy by a strong affirmation and protection. The safety of a lifetime relationship can be associated with connection and understanding.
