The other day I read the book "In search of a mythical couple", the authors of which identified 5 stages of any relationship and I want to share this.

📌Merge. We feel like a single whole, we strive to please each other, emphasize similarities and ignore differences. When ordering dinner in a restaurant, someone will certainly say: "I'll take the same as you."

📌Differentiation. We leave the symbiosis and begin to notice the differences, restore the boundaries and more often look at each other critically. Our opinions increasingly do not coincide, but we defend them, as if testing the relationship for strength.

📌Research. We explore our ability to “be apart”: we spend holidays separately, we meet friends more often. Self-centeredness is the key word of this stage.

📌Rapprochement. Having strengthened our autonomy, we again turn to each other and re-establish relations. We show mutual concern and look forward to reciprocal support.

📌Cooperation and freedom. We have a strong connection, we have reconciled our ideal ideas with reality, and both are confident in mutual love. We are active in the outside world and respect each other's interests and careers.