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Your relationship may last longer if...

Couple sitting and cuddling

Do you consider your partner your best friend? If so, your relationship may be better equipped to last than couples who don't have those very sentiments.

Studies show that those who consider their partner their best friend tend to be far more satisfied in their relationship than those who don't. 

This finding is consistent with research showing that relationships characterized by more companionate love – those high in affection, friendship, security, comfort, and mutual interests – last longer and are more satisfying.

In fact, companionate love is more closely linked with relationship satisfaction than is passionate love, which entails intense feelings of attraction and preoccupation with one’s partner.

Other research shows that those in friendship-centric love relationships feel they have a highly likable partner, and that shared companionship is an integral part of the love. 

A study of over 600 married individuals revealed that those with higher scores on the friendship-based love scale also reported more relationship satisfaction, greater perceived importance of the relationship, and greater respect for and closeness with their spouse. 

More recent studies found that those who place more value on the friendship aspect of their relationship also report more love, more commitment, and greater sexual gratification. In addition, valuing friendship also reduced the chances of a breakup. 

Then there are those rarer couples who’ve been happily married for over 15 years. 

When researchers asked over 300 of these couples about their secret to relationship longevity and success, most cited it was that their partner was their best friend. The second most frequent response was liking their spouse as a person, another chief component of friendship-based love.

When you think about it, friends relish  spending time together, share similar interests, take care of each other, trust each other, and enjoy a deeply satisfying bond. It isn’t a coincidence that these all happen to be common elements in successful intimate relationships.

Does this mean that you should try to convert an existing best friend into a romantic partner?

No, unless you feel in your heart it's the right thing to do and you're willing to run the risk of compromising the friendship. 

However, the research makes clear that the most successful relationships are built on a foundation of friendly love and affection.

If more couples regarded their significant other as their best friend, perhaps the divorce rate wouldn't be as startlingly high.
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