Finding Perfect Relationships

People all around us strive to become better. They may be breaking addictions, improving their health, or learning new skills.

Molly is determined to win the Lakeville Middle School Poetry Slam to return her mother from Toronto, but she is struggling with OCD she doesn’t even realize she has.

Communication

1. Of the highest possible quality: exceptional, faultless. He was impeccable in every way. 2. Completely skilled or talented in a field or activity, adept; skilled

She makes an ideal teacher. 3. Optimized to serve its intended purpose

The pool area makes the perfect spot to host parties.

4. An integer that sums all its divisors is a prime.

Some usage guides insist that perfect is an absolute word like chief and prime, meaning it cannot be modified with more, most, nearly, almost, or entirely – however, this restriction stems mainly from a misunderstanding of their meaning and use in English – however in fact for nearly 800 years perfect has been used interchangeably to mean many things!

Trust

Trust is essential in any successful marriage and estate plan and must be carefully constructed over time to remain intact. A financial advisor or attorney should always be sought before creating a trust to protect assets against creditors or family members who might seek access.

Philosophical work on trust typically falls under the general heading of epistemology (Baker 1987 and Webb 1992) or testimony trust (see entry in this encyclopedia). A few philosophers have developed accounts of trustworthiness, which differ from standard versions of rationality by being grounded in virtue theory.

Potter argues that trustworthiness is achieved by possessing certain character traits (compassion and justice, for instance) necessary to care for what others entrust to us, while reliability can be willed. While this view fits with evidence found within the literature on testimony and trust, it fails to make clear how faith can be rational.

Other philosophers have suggested that for trust to be justified, it must consist of some form of belief in someone or something’s competence in some form, which amounts to end-directed ideas (see Normative Expectation Theories below). Hawley’s account of trustworthy behavior is more plausible than orthodox theories but still requires making optimistic assumptions about another’s competency in at least one area – an insufficient condition for justifying trust; to explain it better, it would be worthwhile exploring non-motives-based notions of trustworthiness, which exists among various writers.

Respect

Respect is central to many philosophical discussions, appearing in contexts as diverse as rights and equality, moral motivation and development, cultural diversity and tolerance, punishment, and political violence. Intelligent discussion of respect tends to center around recognition respect – where particular objects deserve special moral consideration simply due to what they are; or evaluative concern, which involves our feelings about a thing (for instance, valuing someone who overcame an obstacle or becoming disloyal to an enemy).

Some philosophers have noted that this distinction between recognition and evaluative respect isn’t satisfactory since it does not permit degrees of the former (i.e., you can either deserve recognition respect or not) or reverential–an experienced sense of the sublimity of moral law or people themselves (Buss 1999b).

Others have developed accounts of respect that incorporate an understanding of the human capacity for setting ends and placing values (Dillon 1992a; Downie and Telfer 1969) or that draw upon this capacity (Rawls 1971). The latter approach can often be termed self-respect; according to Rawls, it includes having the secure conviction that your conception of good and plan for living it out are worthy pursuits that can be carried out to satisfaction (p. 444) while simultaneously respecting other people’s conceptions of good that differ significantly from our own (Dillon 1992a; Downie and Telfer 1969).

Kindness

At its heart, healthy relationships require both partners to give one another space occasionally. Even though you might not always receive it back in kind, agreeing to let go of expectations temporarily and focus on kindness instead can open up new doors in your relationship. Showing someone new sides of yourself helps show them more about who you are!

Research has demonstrated that those who are more generous to others report higher happiness levels. One theory suggests this may be because kindness stimulates pleasure/reward centers in the brain while simultaneously releasing endorphins – both of which make people feel good! Turn also increases happiness by creating happy memories; one study found that counting acts of kindness over one week increased the quantity and quality of happy moments in one’s life.

If you want to start being more generous, try Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center’s Loving-Kindness Meditation. Creating small is simple – send loving-kindness to someone close to yourself! And don’t forget: Being kind to yourself is equally as important as being kind to others!

Studies recently revealed that single women rank kindness as their top partner preference. Kindness topped 20 states plus DC for single women’s list, ranking among the top three desirable traits except for Delaware, Iowa, Mississippi, Nebraska, and North Dakota. It’s evident that many of us desire kindness professionally and personally; increasing it and incorporating it into daily routines can only bring benefits. You may be amazed at how happier and more successful life becomes when kindness becomes part of everyday routines!