"He silently washes dishes at 2am: 5 actions that are more important than the words "I respect you""
Bestselling author of The 5 Love Languages, Gary Chapman, states:
"Respect is the oxygen of a relationship. Without it, love suffocates."
A study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that couples where partners value personal boundaries are four times less likely to argue.
Sign 1: Active listening without interrupting
DBT therapist Marsha Linehan emphasizes:
"Listening means giving space for thoughts."
A couple from Sochi who introduced a “3-minute no-objection” rule for arguments reduced conflicts by 70%.
Sign 2: Supporting goals, even strange ones
When Oleg from Tyumen wanted to leave his office for the farm, his wife did not ridicule him.
“She said: ‘Try it, and if anything happens, I’m with you.’”
Psychologist Adam Grant writes:
"Believing in your partner's dreams is the highest form of respect."
Sign 3: Ability to apologize without “but”
Dr. Harriet Lerner, in her book, Apology Is Powerful, notes:
"A real 'sorry' contains no excuses."
Example: blogger Diana publicly apologized to her husband for a harsh post, without adding “you provoked it yourself.”
Sign 4: Respect for personal time
A couple from Kaliningrad, where the husband goes fishing and the wife goes on spa days, believes:
"Spending time apart brings us closer."
Psychologist Esther Perel jokes:
"Passion lives in the space between you."
Sign 5: Caring without reminders
"He puts the kettle on when he sees I'm tired," says Irina from Moscow. Such small things, according to research by The Gottman Institute , increase marital satisfaction by 33%.
Author: Valeria Kisternaya
