

After all, your needs and happiness are just as important as your partner’s! Unconditional love does have its limits, and if you are being subjected to hurtful behavior, it is okay (and necessary) to let go. Each partner should feel a sense of safety and be treated with respect and kindness. In any healthy relationship, basic expectations need to be fulfilled. In a codependent relationship, one partner is too reliant on the other, often going out of their way to please them, even when they are being treated poorly - and that is not the same as unconditional love. As much as you might care for someone, there are still certain boundaries that need to be enforced.Ī common misconception about unconditional love is that you love someone no matter how much they mistreat you, but that’s simply not the case! When you continue to stay with a toxic partner, you’re not showing unconditional love - you’re showing codependent love. Unconditional love does not mean you love someone regardless of their toxic or abusive behaviors. That said, it is unhealthy to offer love without boundaries. It is definitely healthy to love someone with no strings attached otherwise, you’re not truly loving them, right? Your first week is free! Is Unconditional Love Healthy in Romantic Relationships? Download our award-winning relationship coaching app and get access to therapist-approved quizzes and lessons while speaking with an expert relationship coach.


When challenges come your way, Relish is here to keep your relationship on track. In romantic relationships, someone offering conditional love might say, “I will stay with you, but only if you refuse to take that job.” (The keyword “if” is a common sign of conditional love.) Someone who loves unconditionally will say, “I love you no matter what comes our way.” For example, if an adult child goes against a parent’s wishes, the parent might say something like, “I always gave you so much love, and this is how you repay me?” Even a parent can express conditional love to a child. Its definition is all in the name: you are offering love based on certain conditions.

You care for and love someone without any strings attached and don’t worry about how it benefits you.Ĭonditional love, on the other hand, is a more nearsighted form of love. Loving unconditionally means the other person’s needs and happiness is just as important and meaningful as your own. It’s not that your love is limitless or without boundaries, but it’s not contingent on getting anything back. In its simplest definition, unconditional love means that you love without expecting anything in return. We often think of the unconditional love between a parent and child or a dog and its owner, but what about between romantic partners? What exactly is the definition of unconditional love, and is it a realistic foundation for romantic relationships? Unconditional vs.
