Relationships involve compromise, right? A mature partnership is a game of give and take. My short answer is this: in some ways yes, and in other ways no. If we want a healthy connection, we can’t always get our way. Mature relationships can’t thrive in narcissistic soil. It’s not all about us.

But relationships can’t flourish if we give up too much of ourselves — sacrificing our values, stifling our voice, or minimizing our own needs. Doing so could be a self-betrayal, leading to frustration or anger toward ourselves or others for sacrificing too much.

Compromise

Compromising sounds noble…and sometimes it is. Our elected leaders could certainly use a hefty dose of it when formulating policies rather than clinging rigidly to their ideology, which leaves others feeling diminished, thereby creating divisiveness.