An intriguing question may have crossed your mind once in a while - should you date your best friend? As science backs it up, the answer is a plain "yes." Research tells that having your romantic partner as your best friend can make the relationship last forever.
For some, a partner and a best friend are two separate individuals who means so much. But having a single person to be both a best friend and a partner will give the benefit of "best of both worlds," Live Science mentioned. A group from Monmouth University Polling Institute conducted a research to prove that the best lover you can have is your best friend.
The team conducted a research on 801 adults across the US, and was asked if their partner is also their best friend, or they consider someone else as such. There is an overwhelming response (83 percent) that they consider their partner as their best friend as well. This idea also contributed to the fact that current generation thinks of the opposite sex in their equal footing, even without a romantic attachment - thus forming "best friends" relationship between a man and a woman.
Another factor is that individuals nowadays would want to have a partner that can contribute to their growth and well-being - not just simply companionship and romance. Best friends tend to be more of contributory to someone's emotional and mental growth, like teaching a new skill or giving meaningful advice when needed. Best friends tend to be more straightforward than just a romantic partner who normally sees only the "good things" and overlooks the "bad" ones.
The survey also says that best friends in a romantic relationship will last longer, more satisfied and more passionate to each other. A study on 622 married individuals prove that "friendship-based" relationships are far more satisfying and enduring than simply "romance-based." Married couples of over 15 years consider their partners as their best friends.
The research does not dictate to turn your best friend into your romantic partner, especially if it will risk the existing friendship. Rather, it only proves that having your partner to be your best friend is the key to a lasting relationship, The Conversation reported.
