In addition to the choice of profession, the choice of partner is one of the most important decisions in life, as it is reflected on the feeling of self-achievement, self-satisfaction regarding life objectives.
For each individual, the choice of partner depends on a specific combination of cultural stereotypes regarding partner relations and marriage, passed from parents to children. In addition, patterns of emotional bonding between children and parents, namely the quality of family climate of emotional relations, also have a significant impact.
Partners are most commonly chosen upon a model of successful partner relations in the family and vice versa, what proved to be an unsuccessful choice in the family is rejected.
Learn more: The maturity for the choice of partner is closely related to the development of self-awareness, i.e. the image of oneself and realistic expectations from oneself and others, as well as the development of empathy for needs of others, emotional responsibility, ability to control one’s emotions and behaviour, communication skills. All these abilities and skills can be improved via processes of social learning throughout life. Developing a mature attitude towards oneself and others represents a significant area of psychotherapeutic work. Unfortunately, the need for consulting a psychotherapist regarding the choice of partner is still insufficiently present in our country. One of the prerequisites for a person to be ready for choosing a partner is successful completion of the process of individuation and separation from the primary family. A success in that endeavour does not depend only on age, but also on the capacity of each individual to rely on him/herself and take responsibility for his/her life choices, to become a person who is psychically independent, ready for a life separate from parents. Many young people fail to resist pressures of preferred social norms imposed by their family, and when the time comes they enter into marriage in accordance with family expectations. It is not easy to find the “right” partner when these features of a mature choice are followed. If you have a dilemma on whether you have made the right choice, it is better to timely address a family therapist than resolve it with help of friends and relatives, who are not unbiased and do not have suitable professional knowledge. Addressing experts in pre-marital counselling facilities is common around the world. Check the video material on Choice of Partner.