Maintaining Relationship Satisfaction

Human relationships present many challenges. One challenge involves building posi­tive feelings about ourselves. Another involves establishing satisfying and enjoyable relationships with family, peers, teachers, coworkers, employers, and other people in our social network. A third challenge involves developing special intimate relationships with friends and, when we want them, sexual relationships. Finally, many people con­front the challenge of maintaining satisfaction and love within an ongoing committed relationship. In this section, we present factors that contribute to ongoing satisfaction in relationships. We also discuss the value of sexual variety within a relationship.