A day in the life of an Ohioan turned New Yorker
Ch Ch Changes
Published on May 14, 2005 By alison watkins In Personal Relationships
Life can be full of changes. Some changes can be for the better, others for the worse. Changes are brought on by ones self. No matter what one might think, one cannot change a person.

I believe that this is the number one reason that relationships fail. So many think that they can change a person. First off, if you care for someone, why change them? Shouldn't you love someone for who they are, not for what you think they can become? I see this more often in females than males. They come across a man and think, "Hmmm...what can I do to improve him?" Then they begin trying to "change" them.

Why is this? Can't you just look for someone you are initially attracted to? Why try and manipulate life? If the person wants to change, they will do it themselves.

So JU, am I way off on a tangent or do you agree?

Comments
on May 14, 2005
You can't change other people. All you can do is change the way you react to them. Trying to change someone else is futile.

I don't think this means that you have to put up with something that is disrespectful or destructive or pretend to like a behavior that is annoying...what you have to do is decide if those behaviors are something you can live with and learn how to deal with in a way that works for you (changing how you react to it) or decide that you can't be with that person because of those traits or behaviors.

Having said that, we all change and grow, so the person you are initially attracted to may not always be the same person with the same behaviors as when you met them...

I think it comes down to commitment and compromise. Commitment keeps the two people together when things are bad or annoying and compromise helps each partner know that they are accepted by the other and that their partner is willing to make concessions for them.
on May 14, 2005
Tex:
I couldn't agree with you more. Commitment and comprimise are key.