Behaving Like a Mentally Healthy and Mature Partner
65When people behave like a mature partner they are able to grow as a person through their marriage. They can meet their own needs when necessary and do not blame their partner for problems. When people are not mature and have psychological insecurities, they often depend solely on their partner to fulfill them. When one person or both partners are not able to behave like a stable, mature adult, it is difficult to have true partnership in marriage.
Emotional and mental maturity has nothing to do with age. It’s possible to be in your 70’s and still be emotionally immature. Behaving like a mature partner means that you are able to have realistic expectations about your relationship and you do not blame your partner for how you feel. Mature people make the best partners as they are more comfortable with themselves and they offer more stability to the relationship.
Mature partners are able to recognize that their partner will not fulfill all of their needs all the time. Instead, they are able to recognize that their partner will fulfill some of their needs. They are able to accept this and work on fulfilling the needs that are not filled by their partner.
They are also not dependent on their partner. They recognize that part of being in a marriage means that both people need to be dependable, but they can also be independent when necessary. They can stand on their own two feet and could care for you if a situation arose that required it. In contrast, unhealthy people remind you that they need you and need you to do things for them.
With maturity, also comes the ability to be able to respect their partner’s need for alone time. Healthy adults can allow their partner the freedom to pursue their own interests without trying to make their partner feel guilty. Both partners are able to respect one another’s needs for independence. They can maintain a balance between being a companion and being an individual and can do so without being needy.
Behaving like a mature and healthy adult also requires taking responsibility for your own feelings. Healthy partners don’t depend on their partner to make them feel good all the time. Instead, they pursue a life that helps them to feel good and their partner becomes a part of their life.
Healthy people are able to deal with the past. They have confronted past traumas, dealt with childhood issues, and are able to move forward. They have grieved losses and accepted their past for what it was. They are able to learn from their own mistakes and strive to make a better life for themselves now. Unhealthy people tend to recreate trauma for themselves. They may surround themselves with drama, view themselves as a victim, and repeat painful scenarios throughout their lives.
The health of both partners can also be seen with their expectations about conflict. Mature adults are able to work with their partner and they want to work on negotiation. Other people focus on winning and spend their energy trying to get their partner to give in to them. They may use anger or manipulation to try and get their way without any interest in working with their spouse on solving the problem together.
Psychologically healthy people can also accept that their partner is not perfect. They understand that their partner will make mistakes and they can share their feelings with you when their feelings are hurt. Immature people expect that their partner will never disappoint them, never make a mistake, and they become overly critical of anything that they view as a possible betrayal.
If you have difficulty behaving like a mature partner, consider what changes you would need to make in order to change. Evaluate what areas are your strengths and what areas are weaknesses for you. Consider individual therapy to overcome obstacles if necessary. Also, consider couples therapy to help you learn some new skills, gain reassurance, and manage your emotions better as a couple.
If you are having marriage problems then visit www.marriagemax.com







nybride710 Level 5 Commenter 7 months ago
I was married to an emotionally immature man and over time it became pure hell. He wrote the book on emotional abuse -- or maybe I did since so many of my articles are about the various forms of emotional abuse. I am in a healthy relationship now, and oh, what a difference.