12 Ways To Show Respect To Your Partner

Respect is the foundation of love.

“Respect” is a lot more than just one of Aretha Franklin’s biggest hits, it’s the bedrock of any happy and healthy relationship. Without mutual respect, we cannot build trust, love, connection, or a future together.

We all know this, though, don’t we? We know that mutual respect is required in any relationship, regardless of the context. We need it in friendships, in professional relationships, and within our family.

I do think it’s one of those terms that becomes a bit nebulous when we actually try to define it, or tie it to the actions that convey it to another person. Particularly within an intimate relationship, what is it that respect really looks like, and how can you show it to your partner?

Below, we’ll discuss some of the ways that respect shows up in healthy relationships — and needless to say — both partners need to bring equal measures of it to the table for the relationship to thrive in the long run.

1: Discuss boundaries and expectations.

It’s difficult to show someone respect if we don’t know exactly what makes them feel respected — or more likely, disrespected.