Relationships, like natural resources, require active attention in order to keep them fresh and vital.  The overall quality of a person’s life is ultimately determined by the success of his/her relationships.  Whether in our personal worlds where we spend time with intimate partners, family, friends, and neighbors or in a professional setting where daily work responsibilities afford opportunities to interact with colleagues and clients, it is the cumulative emotional health of an individual’s relationships that ultimately influences our overall well-being.

Intimacy is critical to the process of developing and sustaining close relationships. Modernization has shifted the primary function of marriage from providing security, stability, and raising children to develop a lifetime of love and intimacy. In previous generations, successful marriages depended upon duty and role competence. Modern marriages require greater interpersonal competence as well as equality between partners in peer relationships. Relationships are sought that not only create stable families but also provide partners with a lifetime of love, pleasure, and companionship.