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The importance of acknowledgement 1in relationships has great power and plays a major role as the foundation of a relationship. To define acknowledgment is a beautiful act of accepting the truth and showing gratitude.
People often think that acknowledgment is an easy task in a relationship. In contrast, research has shown that 3 out of 5 couples worldwide struggle to acknowledge their partners, which causes separation, misunderstanding, and differences.
People often confuse acknowledgment with compliments. Although both are more or less the same, there is a significant difference: a compliment is not specific and often includes judgment of what a person did. In contrast, an acknowledgment is completely specific without judgment of what a person did; instead, it focuses on a person’s being.
To maintain a happy and healthy relationship, one must show appreciation and effort and acknowledge their parents whenever they feel like it. These are some of the best and most helpful ingredients for long-lasting, happy relationships.
1. Maintaining Relationships in the Digital Age
Technology has completely taken over the world, and every day, it offers easier ways to do things. Needless to say, people’s experiences in having a relationship and forming connections have vastly changed in the digital age of love, where swiping and texting have become a thing.
The 5 basic love languages have been transformed and molded according to the technological system. Maintaining communication, connection, intimacy, and a healthy and happy relationship has been difficult today. No matter how much technology has helped the world improve, it has deteriorated relationships that could have been long-lasting and happy.
Every person in this world looks for a healthy relationship that makes them happy. In thriving for perfect, happy, and healthy relationships, they often forget the little things that make the base strong and long-lasting. For every people, the definition of a healthy relationship varies according to their needs.
The top three things that make a relationship healthy and happy are as follows:
1.1. Space
A relationship should also allow partners to feel independent and have their unique self-identity with interdependency.
1.2. Trust
Keeping secrets from your partner often leads to differences and misunderstandings. A healthy relationship should be based on honesty and trust.
There should be comfort in a relationship, mutual respect for their decisions or choices, and confidence in your partner that they’d never do anything to hurt or disappoint the other.
1.3. Communication
It is always said that communication is the key to every happy and healthy relationship, and it is true. Open communication with your partner about everything from success to failure to your day at work to whatever you’re feeling goes a long way.
Partners should listen without interruption and judgment, and they might have different opinions, but that shouldn’t create a difference in a relationship.
2. Some Ways to Know the Importance of Acknowledgement in Relationships
Word of affirmation or acknowledgment is one of the five basic love languages. Sending or saying kind words, praising your partner, and articulating your emotions is very important for a long-lasting relationship.
Different people have different love languages, but acknowledgment is the one that is the most common need of every person.
In romantic relationships, people should acknowledge and in every other relationship like parental, friendship, and professional. It builds intimacy, a strong base, and a foundation of relationships.
Most people don’t understand the importance of acknowledging relationships because they don’t know how to articulate or express their emotions and feelings in words or vocally.
The 3 A’s of relationship include acknowledgement which has been lacking and causing constant problems in young couples.
Humans crave positivity and appreciation from their partners. In a world where everything has a negative impact, acknowledgment and appreciation from one’s partner boost self-confidence, reduce stress, lift mood, and go a long way in maintaining a happy and healthy relationship.
2.1. Mistake We Often Make
We often forget the importance of acknowledging relationships and appreciating our partners because we get habituated with them around—the major problem of taking them for granted starts to loom over.
Being taken for granted is one of the most resentful acts one could do in a relationship, resulting in fights, arguments, questioning if this relationship is meant to be, and in difficult situations, separations.
People often don’t always show gratitude to their partners, not always acknowledge them for doing everyday tasks and taking care of their responsibilities. They often say that it is their job, duty, or responsibility to perform those tasks and not always need to thank them, and that is where they are extremely wrong.
Little things in a relationship matter as much as the big things. It is generally seen that little things done by the partners go unnoticed and only big, eventful things are acknowledged and appreciated. A happy relationship is an amalgamation of both little and big things, and maintaining a good balance between them, failing to do so results in misunderstandings and arguments.
2.2. Benefits of Acknowledging Someone
Acknowledging someone helps in many ways, such as:
- It helps in boosting self-confidence.
- Cheer up one’s mood.
- It makes a relationship stronger than before.
- Make them feel known, seen, and loved.
- It builds intimacy.
- Strengthen the bond.
- No envious or jealous emotions.
- Sharpen communication skills.
- Maintain good physical and mental health of both sender and receiver.
- Balance the relationships.
2.3. How to Acknowledge and Appreciate Your Partner?
To quote Rumi, ‘Wear gratitude like a cloak, and it will feed every corner of your life.’
In the fast-paced world of today’s generation, young couples lack the power of communication and appreciation and often forget the importance of acknowledgement in relationships which is why they don’t last long.
Acknowledgment is a good job. One can perform whole-heartedly for their partners to make them happy and to keep the relationship healthy.
There are times in relationships when partners feel they are not acknowledged, appreciated, and often taken for granted by their significant other, resulting in differences and arguments.
3. Signs That You Are Being Taken for Granted
Here are a few signs in a relationship that show a person has been taken for granted. They are as follows:
- Your partner doesn’t show you any respect
- They don’t show interest in your life
- They don’t share about their life
- There is a lack of effort from your significant other’s side
- An abundance of trust issues
- Emotional manipulation
- Causing stress and low self-esteem
- You are not their priority
- They never express appreciation
- There is always miscommunication
- They are critical of your decisions and choices
- No compromises and adjustments
- They don’t understand the importance of acknowledgment in relationships
4. Ways to Acknowledge Your Partner
Accepting your partner with their innate qualities and flaws is love. Acknowledging your partner as they are without asking them to change for you is love.
Once acceptance is done, it gets easy to acknowledge your partner, praise them, understand them, and love them a little more than before. There is much importance in acknowledgment in relationships, and one must follow it for a healthy relationship.2
Acknowledgment is not as difficult as it seems to be. All one needs to say is that they are proud of their partner, how they never cease to make them smile, or how their existence is significantly important in your life.
List of things one can try to make their partner feel acknowledged:
- Compliment your partner on simple things they do, like how beautiful their smile looks in that particular shirt or dress.
- Thank them for taking care of their responsibilities and taking care of you daily, like cooking, cleaning, ironing, or others.
- Listen to them without any interruption and make them feel heard and known by you.
- Being known is being loved. Bring them their favorite ice cream flavor on a regular day or surprise them by taking them out to their favorite place or gifting them what they wanted for a long time.
- Avoid making them feel that they are taken for granted.
- Thank and acknowledge them for being there with you through thick and thin.
- Appreciate their family, friends, and them.
- Try to have a good, fun, and joyful time whenever you guys are together.
- Acknowledge their efforts in making the relationship work and strong each day.
- Articulate your emotions and feelings to your partner often.
- Show gratitude to your partner because ‘thank you’ might sound like two small words, but it holds an abundance of power and love.
- Acknowledge and appreciate your partner whenever at a party or a gathering.
- Maintaining eye contact while talking makes one feel special, and it is important to acknowledge relationships.
- Keep your promises if you’ve made some to your partners. Acknowledge your partner keeping their promises.
- Physical touch also expresses acknowledgment and appreciation. Holding their hands, entwined fingers, shoulder rubs, or a hug works like magic for a happy relationship.
Ending Note
The importance of acknowledgment in relationships works like wonder and maintaining a healthy relationship. A relationship is an emotional investment, and we all want to get credit, appreciation, and acknowledgment for things we do in love with our significant others.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What does it mean to acknowledge someone?
Acknowledgement means to accept and be grateful for someone, how they are, and how they are with you.
2. Why do we acknowledge someone?
Acknowledgement makes someone feel positive and motivated for themselves Therefore, it is possible that they’ll repeat the same behavior in return making the relationship happier.
3. What is a good acknowledgement?
An example of a good acknowledgement can be thanking your partner for the support and help they provide. Also, someone can thank their friends, colleagues, or family by acknowledging what they do and support for the one.
Icy Health
- Shaw, Alex, and Kristina Olson. “Whose idea is it anyway? The importance of reputation in acknowledgement.” Developmental Science 18.3 (2015): 502-509. ↩︎
- Rosenberg, Marshall B., and Deepak Chopra. Nonviolent communication: A language of life: Life-changing tools for healthy relationships. PuddleDancer Press, 2015. ↩︎
Last Updated on by Sathi Chakraborty, MSc Biology