I read an article recently about some scientists who tried to objectively measure what makes successful romantic couples successful. Their conclusion was it was the partners who treated each other with the most kindness.

One more reason why I'm a big proponent of kindness.

There are many wonderful comments here, so YAY! And I'm also blown away by the ones that seem to think that true friendship and sex are mutually exclusive as apposed to a building block from one to the other....or that taking the time to build a friendship first would take years and no romance would be involved. Ummm...Eeeek. It's not so black and whlte. It's really not that hard, but I guess it is for some people. There is such a thing as organically progressing through friendship into romance...like a touch or caress, or holding hands, or little kisses, and opening car doors, cooking a meal for someone, cuddling while watching a movie, a shoulder massage, and so on... When it's "right" and both parties feel safe and cared for, it always leads to "more". Put in the respectful, trust building effort, and reap the rewards of something genuine.

Precisely. Julieta and I were the best of friends before we ever considered getting married. That friendship has held us through the storms of life for a long, long time. Highly recommended.

Cultivating a strong friendship is never a bad idea with or without romance. Many times a romance will fizzle out, but a strong friendship will remain intact.

My parents talked and laughed every day. That's what I want in a relationship.

Shared recreational activities are a bonding experience for couples. I want a man who also loves hiking.

The sex-charged "honeymoon period" doesn't last. Enjoying each other's company does. Friendship and truly liking each other are a great foundation for building a loving relationship.

Exactly, both would need to be willing to make the effort.

This is why I roll my eyes when dudes complained about being "friend-zoned."

Like dude, if you can't be a friend, you can forget about being more than a friend, too.

Friendship is necessary but what kind of friendship? Meaning that I can be friends with someone but to be in a relationship we'll have to be more so on the same trajectory. I have friends that are waaaaay different from me and that would never work. So while friendship is necessary, it has to be more than that. For me, anyway.

Goes without question. There needs to be a strong level of trust and support in a healthy relationship; how else will you make it through challenges which will definitely come up. And it only makes your connection more enjoyable, reassuring and meaningful. With the safety of being who you are with each other and to be loved for it, what could be better

My understanding was that a good relationship, especially a marriage, needed a good grounding in common interests/experiences to work. But friendship is good too.

I think you’re partially incorrect. Friendship is essential, but so is a primal sexual attraction.

Once you stop treating them as a friend it is the beginning of the end. The foundation of the relationship must never crack

My ex-wife and I were best friends (married for 20 years). Because of that bond, we probably stayed together an extra 10 years longer than we should have!

I agree to about 80%. It’s not that I disagree, friendship is important. However, I feel that communication (and honesty even when it hurts) between both parties is also needed. Friends lie to each other so not to hurt the friendship. If you can’t tell your partner that they are chewing too loud or you want them to spend more time talking to you instead of playing a game. Or whatever they do that ignores you.

The more one party holds back in order not to hurt the relationship, the more it builds up, the more is becomes poison. Someone once said, secrets are like weights. The more you carry, the harder it is to keep moving forward.

A lot of good stuff here. In a way I think you're right but there is a difference. I currently am questioning everything about relationships including monogamy (although I'm not sure I could be non-monogamous) and even though a committed monogamous relationship has a 'get along/friendship' component it's not the same as friendship. That kind of deep emotional and physical intimacy changes everything; at least for me. I think it's good to get to know someone a decent amount to see if you get along before trying that kind of intimacy but it's not the same kind of friendship afterwards. That's why after a break-up I need to create some 'distance' to get my head out of that intimate connection. I still may be able to be friends with an ex but that friendship is different than the one I had during the relationship. I actually was trying to figure this out while commenting so I hope it makes sense. Thanks for provoking me to think this through.

Its just an emotion. Take A chance on a bad boy and see if wild and crazy wakes up something wonderful. When's the last time you said OMG?

Agree-if you don't share common interests and become friends better success.

I agree with this. I think friendship is the basis for any solid relationship. I mean...how can it not be? My ex told me one time that I was his wife...not his friend. I remember feeling crushed and basically shut out by that statement. How can you feel true companionship then? How can you learn to understand each other...to like each other? I want to genuinely like the person I'm with and need to feel a comadaradarie with them.

It also helps if you can laugh together; with each other and for each other. It important not to take ourselves too seriously.

I'm leery of it. This dude I knew who thought we were closer of friends than we actually were tried to convince me to take it further on the grounds that one leads to the other and it was how his parents got together so it followed the he and I should, too. I was only just learning my own sexuality and was still very isolated in an abusive parental environment which resulted in my having very few contacts with the outside world, so I had to keep hedging around the subject for years, which got really stressful. Kinda left me a little weird about people insisting on a specific course a relationship 'should' take.

I agree -- if you're not friends, anything else just won't last.

I don't think it's necessary to only have friendship in the beginning, for whatever specified time people might want. I mean sure, I guess there should be at least a little bit of time before getting sexual, but how long? I've had great relationships with people while still being sexual in the first month or so. Personalities will mesh no matter if sex is involved or not. I think people that want to wait 1 to 2 years for sex, or whatever it is, are being unrealistic and doing themselves a disservice. There are plenty of relationships that don't work out, some do it in the OP way, and some don't.

I was just mentioning that to a friend yesterday. I never had a relationship that lasted long without being friends first.

We'd better get crackin'!--Lol.

Why are Women drawn to the "Bad Boy's,and usually ignore the Men that could give them what want? Genes,directing perhaps her choices? What success do older married couples have? those married 40+ years?