I think it’s been said quite often : if you want a good relationship, your partner should be your best friend. You will see similar sentiments on greeting cards, on little gifts especially during Valentine’s Day) and you will see it splattered all over social media images, posts and clips with the lines “I married my best friend”. It gives off the impression that their love is also based on friendship and not just physical and mental attraction.
After the heady, passionate days of falling head-over-heels for a partner, the magic of romantic love can start to wane. It takes a lot to work at keeping the romance alive and in the meantime, having your best friend being the one you live with and you are married too is a huge plus. It means a lot if you both can share interests and hobbies and enjoy doing them together.
It is said that in in contrast to romantic love, which even philosophers characterized as a desire to possess the other person, a friendship-based relationship can have many advantages, namely respecting the other person’s freedom and interest in activities outside of the relationship. I wouldn’t say that it is necessary for your spouse to be your best friend but it does have a lot of advantages if they are.
Prompt from The Learning Network at The New York Times at The New York Times