It seems wherever I turn these days, I can’t escape the topic of domestic bliss, or rather, the lack of it. It could simply be a human-nature thing, as Homo sapiens do not need an invitation to moan. If there were an intergalactic All-Creatures’ Olympic games, and if one of the events was called Moan-athelon, we would win gold, hands down, year after year, or so it seems – maybe I just need a new social circle. Putting aside our love of habitual grumbling for a moment, I wondered if the real reason behind this was the extra time we’re spending with our partners – I know it seems kind of obvious when you put it that way. In other words, after a while together, will any two get sick of each other? I wanted to know if it really was as simple as that, or if there was another ingredient at play regarding compatibility in relationships.
When Relationships Become Dull
One alternative explanation can be derived from the stereotype associated with relationships, which is to say that, after a while, they all get dull and begin to drain our inner cup of goodness. The journeys may differ, but the destination is always the same. The duration is relative to the rate we drain that inner cup. Depletion is caused by partner interaction while cup-filing is carried out by exterior sources such as friends, careers, hobbies, children, etc. This theory assumes that depletion is always faster, and therefore, the cup will eventually become empty. At this point, we more often than not, either settle for a stale existence or call it a day; which one very much depends on the cost of the exit strategy.
