Comments (123)

AddedExtra - 24 Mar, 2025 - 11:06PM

I concur. Honesty with your IE, mutual respect of each other and each other's real lives is key. No demands or expectations. Flow with it. Enable them to be your go to person. We talked a lot about of married lives, life partners and children and put the world to rights! Oh and make them laugh (4.5 years of my IE)

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Here we go 693 - 19 Mar, 2025 - 09:47AM

As has been said here by others, communication, honesty and realistic expectations.
I would also add patience and understanding. We all have families who can throw a spanner in the works for whatever reason, or indeed other circumstances. As much as this may disappoint, take it with grace, there will be other occasions.

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powerlady - 14 Mar, 2025 - 07:52PM

Regular communication and honest sharing of each other's lives and expressing desire regularly to each other and making an effort to meet for intimacy . The bond that ensues from all of the above helps keep IE relationships going

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Princess_seeks_affair - 10 Mar, 2025 - 10:08PM

Clear communication, mutual respect and kindness. Liking eachother equally and brining the same energy to the exchange.

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xmimix - 09 Mar, 2025 - 03:32PM

Communication and the more hypocritical thing, trust. You’re far more likely to succeed and also build something long lasting

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Cheryl Kim - 09 Mar, 2025 - 10:37AM

We marry the person who we think ticked all our boxes.

And then we realise that life isn’t just a tick box exercise and that addendums need to be made to meet evolving needs.

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tmn2024 - 09 Mar, 2025 - 10:16AM

Ideal world: chefs are Italian, lovers are French, engineers are German, footballers are Brazilian and spys are Russian.

Real world: chefs are German, footballers are Russian, engineers are Italian, lovers are Brazilian and spys are French.

Lesson? We don't live in an ideal world, and our partners never check every ideals box either.

Solution? Have an affair. Maybe there's one unchecked box that you can put a gread big tick in.

Tick. I said tick. lol

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Cheryl Kim - 09 Mar, 2025 - 10:08AM

Communication, laughter, genuine friendship and a similar level of fondness for each other. Mutual acceptance of personal foibles.

Just like any normal lasting relationship, only with the additions that most of us have come here for.

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London3434 - 09 Mar, 2025 - 09:18AM

Paula99 makes a valid point but I think IE relationships are necessarily different because the partner cannot be included in my social circle (nor me in hers), which is a bit limiting.

Mutual attraction, some level of emotional connection, shared interests (esp professional) can help offset

Paula99 - 07 Mar, 2025 - 12:39PM

IE relationships are no different to a ‘normal’ ones…it all depends on how much effort you put in …how much commitment … communication you are willing to do and how much of a double life can you handle …

Stress management is essential and not easy for some workaholics….

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