• Home
  • About
  • Posts
    • Autism
    • Synesthesia
    • Unbelievably True Adventures
    • Body Language Expert
  • Press
Talk Nerdy To Me™

Type and hit Enter to search

  • Home
  • About
  • Posts
    • Autism
    • Synesthesia
    • Unbelievably True Adventures
    • Body Language Expert
  • Press
Relationships

#NerdsUnite: What Are the 4 Types of Relationships?

JenFriel
April 13, 2022 5 Mins Read
74 Views
0 Comments

Talk Nerdy To Me’s @StaffWriter:

datin2292992g Talk Nerdy To Me™

There are four types of relationships: toxic, neutral, healthy, and transcendent.

Each type of relationship has its own set of qualities. The following are the defining characteristics of toxic, neutral, healthy, and transcendent relationships.

Toxic Relationships

People in a toxic relationship experience at least one of the below: emotional or physical hurt, an imbalance in giving or receiving love, or neglect.

A person may be physically present but emotionally unavailable because they are withdrawn inside themselves rather than participating in the connection. Toxic relationships are typically emotionless, not fulfilling all parties involved (or only sporadically), and sometimes even scary for both parties.

They can also be manipulative or draining to one party if that party doesn’t have boundaries while being manipulative and draining to both parties in cases where boundaries are lacking on both sides.

Toxic relationships can be characterized by fear, mistrust, dishonesty (even if only in the form of omission), selfishness, power plays (such as one person withholding something that the other needs), control issues, and/or anger. They are often marked by at least one party clamming up when an uncomfortable topic comes up rather than addressing it openly or shutting down entirely instead of honestly communicating what is going on with them. The blame game is also a common sign of toxicity.

Types of toxic relationships include co-dependency, abuse, neglectful parenting, codependency in romantic relationships, enmeshed friendships where boundaries are nonexistent between friends who are so close that one’s well-being relies on how much time they spend with the other friend (also known as fusion), and bullying.

Related article: Healthy vs Toxic Relationships

Neutral Relationships

These are more like acquaintances than true friends, where there is not an element of love or hate in the relationship but rather no real feelings related to it at all. They might even be described as “friendly enemies” because they can get along when necessary but also dislike each other enough to keep some distance.

An example of a neutral relationship, for instance, is a student and teacher who don’t know each other well but may greet each other in the hallway at school.

Neutral relationships can be positive or negative depending on how much care one puts into them and the other person’s level of reciprocation. A relationship where both parties put virtually no time and energy into it is likely to be neutral for both parties.

Healthy Relationships

These relationships are marked by honest communication, giving and receiving unconditional love, reciprocity (giving back what you receive; no one person feels that they are on more of an even keel than the other), affection without smothering, balancing time between togetherness and apartness, respect for boundaries while still creating closeness, and caring for the other person’s happiness apart from one’s own.

Healthy relationships are characterized by both parties feeling secure and comfortable with each other, wanting to make time for each other in their busy lives, and often spending time together because they enjoy each other’s company (rather than only when it is convenient).

A romantic partner in a healthy relationship is someone with whom you can share your deepest thoughts and feelings without fear of them using that against you or betraying your confidences. You feel like there is no part of yourself that cannot be revealed because you trust that they will accept your confidences and not judge or belittle what has been shared.

Transcendent Relationships

These relationships go above and beyond what either party expects from just another friend, family member, or romantic partner. They are marked by the sense of being connected on a spiritual level that transcends our physical reality.

Transcendent relationships almost seem magical.

People talk about soulmates and twin flame bonds. These types of relationships are the deepest, most joyous, and most painful of all.

They have the potential to be extremely fulfilling but also heartbreaking because of what they entail.

A transcendent relationship is different from a friendship because it has the potential to become romantic in nature. It can progress into one or more types of love (romantic, familial, or platonic) depending on how deep the connection between both parties is. This type of bond usually comes with an intense feeling of being bonded together for life no matter where either party is physically located.

Transcendent relationships are often thought to be “soulmates,” which are twin flame bonds that may become romantic or familial.

Deep spiritual connections are rooted in shared awareness, acceptance, and celebration of each other.

An example of a transcendent relationship would be between two family members who love each other unconditionally and remain close throughout life, no matter how far apart they may live.

Another example is two people meet and recognize their mirror self in each other. They fall madly in love, get married, and remain together for decades. Both feel inexplicably connected and bonded with each other.

Can a Toxic Relationship Become a Neutral Relationship?

It is possible for a toxic relationship to become a neutral relationship, but probably not a healthy relationship.

If one or both parties choose to continue the relationship because it is comfortable, their lives are easier when they are together (e.g., that person knows all of your deepest secrets and you know theirs; they love to do certain things that you like), or their personalities mesh well with each other’s, but without any desire for growth, change, openness, and without ever attempting to make the relationship more fulfilling (e.g., because they do not want to change and you did at one point in time), then it can transition into a neutral relationship.

However, it is unlikely that this type of relationship will become a transcendent one or even a healthy one, because each party may have damaged the other too deeply.

Can a Healthy Relationship Turn into a Transcendent Relationship?

Yes, a healthy relationship can become a transcendent relationship.

In fact, this is one of the greatest gifts of being in a healthy relationship: it makes you realize your potential for deeper love and connection. It can help you recognize who you are as a person on a much more intimate level.

NerdsUnite Talk Nerdy To Me™

Tags:

FOUR TYPES OF RELATIONSHIPSjen frielnerd talktalk nerdytalk nerdy to metalk nerdy to me loverTYPE OF RELATIONSHIPWHAT ARE THE 4 TYPES OF RELATIONSHIPS

Share Article

Other Articles

rafal szczawinski A0y95Vwxwp4 unsplash 1 Talk Nerdy To Me™
Previous

#Question: What Is the Most Powerful Body Language Skill?

sharon mccutcheon r6 xcsNg0kw unsplash 1 Talk Nerdy To Me™
Next

#Question: What Are Karmic Relationships?

Next
sharon mccutcheon r6 xcsNg0kw unsplash 1 Talk Nerdy To Me™
April 14, 2022

#Question: What Are Karmic Relationships?

Previews
April 12, 2022

#Question: What Is the Most Powerful Body Language Skill?

rafal szczawinski A0y95Vwxwp4 unsplash 1 Talk Nerdy To Me™

No Comment! Be the first one.

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Hi, I’m Jen Friel

    & I’d like to personally welcome you to my home
    Talk Nerdy To Me.™ 

    Facebook Twitter Youtube

    Featured Posts

    Screen Shot 2022 12 01 at 2.59.49 PM Talk Nerdy To Me™

    #NerdsUnite: The time a square walked into a bar (and not the kind of square you’re thinking)

    JenFriel AgeTwo Talk Nerdy To Me™

    #OpenLetter: Dear Grandma & Grandpa – you guys sucked (and you weren’t even the Hoar in this scenario)

    ScreenShot2022 04 06at4.24.22PM Talk Nerdy To Me™

    #WestTexas: Saying Good Bye to a Great And Saying Hello to @Jack outside of a Teepee

    ScreenShot2022 03 14at4.17.53PM Talk Nerdy To Me™

    #HowTo: Out con a conman (or in this case con-woman)

    11864805 10100873076569489 7874067153814933141 o Talk Nerdy To Me™

    #TalkNerdyToMe: The full story behind our @BritneySpears moment

    Related Posts

    alexander sinn KgLtFCgfC28 unsplash scaled Talk Nerdy To Me™

    #NerdsUnite: When Should You Delete Your Dating Profile?

    August 25, 2022
    francisco venancio G ov3T7WCZg unsplash scaled Talk Nerdy To Me™

    #RealDeal: What He Thinks When You Don’t Text Him 

    August 19, 2022
    chermiti mohamed 37 lm2otkas unsplash scaled Talk Nerdy To Me™

    #NerdsUnite: Ways Dual-Career Couples Make Their Relationships Work

    August 15, 2022
    sincerely media XJnjN1eRSEk unsplash scaled Talk Nerdy To Me™

    #OriginStory: I had read about this fetish on Urban Dictionary, and yep, it’s actually “a thing!”

    August 1, 2022
    Talk Nerdy To Me™

    Talk Nerdy To Me™ is an intimate and intelligent perspective on the stupid things that happen to us in life & tips on how to be smart in situations most would find foolish.

    Talk Nerdy To Me™

    • Home
    • About
    • Contact
    • Media
    • FAQ

    Category

    • Autism
    • Synesthesia
    • Unbelievably True Adventures
    • Body Language

    Follow Us

    Facebook Twitter Instagram

    Talk Nerdy To Me™ by: Jen Friel

    • Home
    • About
    • Posts
      • Autism
      • Synesthesia
      • Unbelievably True Adventures
      • Body Language Expert
    • Press