Trust and Respect

It's all so bleeding obvious really, and yet we keep making the same crappy mistakes. At least I seem to.

I asked Maryanne how a woman will know she's with the wrong guy. Her reply - and I'm paraphrasing - is that you need to test for trust and respect.

Trust is straightforward. An honest gut-check will provide you the answer.

Respect is more nuanced. Respect goes to motivation and intent, tricky animals to flush out in ones-self, let alone in someone else. Respect is easier to judge in retrospect, if you'll forgive the word play, most clearly seen in the rear-view mirror. And that takes time.

My assumption is that this works for men as well as women. If it doesn't we're in more trouble than I'd figured. And I should make it clear that even if shared trust and comprehensive respect exist within a relationship, it does not mean that match is perfect. There's always the unknown X-Factor that make these things work.

Ah, the X-Factor, that fugitive from logic and reason.