Relationship is the way people behave towards each other and feel about each other. When people are friendly towards each other, they have a good relationship, when they are unfriendly, they have a bad relationship.
Life relationship has several stages - it starts with friendship, continues with love and finishes with marriage.
Friendship is a relationship between people who have something in common, spend a lot of time together, support and help each other. Friends are people who laugh together, share secrets, speak about everything. They show their true feelings, they accept each other as they are. We create friendships all our lives. Some of them are really short, some of them last for the whole life. Friends meet often but they don't usually live together. "A friend in need is a friend indeed" - this old saying expresses a real value of friendship. There is no place for jealousy, excuses and ignorance in a real friendship. Friends are tied by memories, laughs and smiles, but also tears and sadness. A true friend stands by you even if you are in trouble, unlike those who disappear when some problems arise. Those people who contact you only if they want something aren't real friends.
Qualities of true relations – respect, honesty, trust, cooperation, support, protection
Destruction of relationship – gossips, divorce, being separated, break apart
Love is a deep feeling between two people who want to spend the rest of their lives together. They usually get married and live together. We can have lots of friends, but there is only one person who we love. Love is a deeper feeling, more emotional than friendship. It's a strong, passionate affection. People in love hold their hands, kiss each other etc.
However, the statistics show that there is a high rate of divorce caused by love disappearing, lack of faith and trust, financial problems, gambling, drug, alcohol addictions etc.
Formal relationships are created among people at school, work or in the streets. They are formed among people of different social positions: teachers and students, employers and employees, doctors and patients, among businessmen, politicians, bankers, clerks, customers and shop assistants. They are not very deep or open, very neutral, they require respect and a high level of formality and politeness. People must learn how to communicate, how to behave and how to react when meeting somebody we don´t know, somebody we appreciate, somebody in higher professional position (the boss, manager etc.). When in a formal situation, we have to follow specific rules of behaviour. This is called the etiquette. We should be aware of what is suitable and what is not acceptable, especially in a position of a businessman in a foreign country.
Some examples of how to behave in formal situation: • address people in a formal way, greetings (Good morning, evening..)
colleague, workmate, boss, director, assistant, business partner, mentor, employer, employee, junior or senior (refers to position/ length of service at work)
Informal relationships are relations we grow in, created between parents and children, grandparents, among our friends, classmates, colleagues, married couples etc. They are usually formed among people of the same status, they are more open, our speech and approach get more emotional. It is normal that we love to spend our free time with our family and friends, because there is a lot in common. People love to share their hobbies or spend their holiday together. The behaviour, gestures, mimics, and clothes we wear; vocabulary we use, even the music we listen to; this all is informal. There is no written code or guide how to behave in informal relations; nearly everything is accepted.
Some examples of informal behaviour: • informal way of addressing people (Hi, Hello, Bye) • calling each other by first names • friends kiss each other when they meet, they can slap someone's back when they meet • hugging • talking about private, personal things • talking loudly in public, laughing loudly • going to pubs, cinemas together
Everyday relations
acquaintance, friend, good friend, close friend, best friend, neighbour, mate, schoolmate, classmate, roommate, workmate, pal, buddy, relative
Romantic relationships
friends » boyfriend and girlfriend (in love) » fiancé and fiancée (engagement, engaged couple (get engaged, proposal) »» husband and wife (married couple, marriage) »» children, career, problems ... »» stay together happily ever after // split up // divorce
Online relationship
Falling in love online is also possible. Trendy life style of modern generation leads to having a lot of friends through internet. But there are some facts we should notice:
u Social media sites are not dating sites.
u The people there are unknown, you haven´t seen them; you don´t know whether the information you are getting is reliable and true.
u They can hurt you emotionally or physically.
However, there are some positives connected with the online relationships:
Values - are standards, principles or qualities according to which we act. They are influenced by society - friends, parents, siblings, community, teachers, church, television, newspapers etc. 1. Parents are our first role models. They shape our values - they bring us up, teach us how to be friendly, polite, how to greet people, respect and help them. Sometimes they need to be strict to show us how to behave. If we want to have a good relationship with them, we have to obey their rules, talk to them a lot, don't lie to them etc. 2. It is also important to have a good relationship with our siblings. Older ones take care of the young ones. It is good when they help, support each other, share the household chores equally, don't argue. Sometimes our older siblings may become our idols, role models as well. The perfect relationship is the one in which siblings are also best friends. In comparison with parents, there is no generation gap between siblings, they understand each other better, they have the same values, opinions, the way of clothing, interests etc. 3. It is good to have friends, even at school - classmates. This is sometimes the reason you like going there. You are the same age, so you understand each other, you have similar problems, you can share your secrets, walk or commute to school and home together.
You need to talk about the problem calmly, without interruption - this is the best way to find a possible solution. You need to be tolerant, listen to others - you can avoid misunderstanding. If you listen to the others, you are showing respect. Avoid arguments. Step back, look at the situation from different points of view. Keep your promises. You should show empathy, trust, understanding, care etc. Don't be stubborn. Help with household chores. Find more time for each other, do some activities together. Forgive people when they make mistakes. People can't read your mind, express your feelings openly. It's good to set up some rules. You can even ask a professional counselor to help you and your family.