The problems in a relationship usually arise from lack of respect, when one partner feels that he\she is better than the other, not just financially, emotionally, physically, but completely as a person.

Relationship experts studied couples and could predict, accurately, in the first few minutes, if the couple would stay together. Most of it boiled down to respect, in the way they conversed, argued, compromised. And most of the time, respect isn’t spoken; it is revealed through your actions, in the most inane situations. In other words actions speak louder than words. We have uncovered some ways for you:

Thoughtfulness: He consults with you before making plans with his friends: For instance, in my case, my husband always calls to check what my plans are before he makes plans with his friends. Especially, if it means us going out with them, or calling them over. It’s not like he’s asking for permission or anything. If he wants to go out with pals, he does, but before confirming, he always rings me and let me know. It shows that he respects me and makes me special or that he cares about me that s why he informs me about his whereabouts.

Protectiveness: He defends you when his mum passing outrageous insults at you: My mother in law can’t stand the sight of me. Don’t ask me why, I have no idea or clue for that reason. But she never misses a  chance or  any opportunity to comment on my clothes, my cooking, the way I keep my house, even the way I talk, the way I look after my kids, for god’s sake! But you know what make this relationship easier is the fact that my husband doesn’t stand for a single one of her insults. He smiles to soften the blow and tells her off in the most effective way possible. This makes me easier on my mother in law. And bear all the comments she passes on me because my hubby is on my side.

Courteousness: He is courteous to your parents when he knows they hate his guts: In my friend’s case, this statement gets true because she would cringe when her father would throw taunts and insults at her boyfriend when she first started going out. Her boyfriend wasn’t really doing too well for himself and her father decided that made him unsuitable for her. And he was very vocal about his opinions. But her boyfriend never said a word out of line. He was always polite, but not meek, and said what he thought in the most respectful manner. It really spokes volumes about his character and his feelings for my friend.

Consideration: When you know he thinks your opinion is very important: No matter where we go, my hubby always draws me into the conversation with which he’s talking to and later asks me what I thought of people, situations, and ideas. He introduces me to people with little nuggets of information woven into the conversation to make me a part of whatever those are talking about. He always wants to know about what I think.

Honesty: He doesn’t lie, even about the small stuff, like why he’s late: For me, trust and respect go hand in hand. When you lie to me, it means you think I am an idiot and can be fooled. It means you don’t respect me. But thank god, in my case, I share a very honest relationship with my husband. The brutal truth, that’s our policy.