Relationships are the connections you have with other people. You can have relationships with many different people, such as family, friends, and coworkers. You can also have romantic and platonic relationships. Relationships can be healthy or unhealthy. The key to a healthy relationship is communication, trust, and respect.

A healthy relationship is one in which you both care about and support each other. You listen to each other and you are able to talk openly about important issues. You are able to respect each other’s individuality and you do not try to change who you are. You are able to maintain other friendships and interests, and you are supportive of each other’s career goals. You do not use physical abuse to control or manipulate the other person.

In science, a relationship is the correspondence between two variables. For example, the height of your hair may be related to your intelligence because you are smarter when you are taller. However, this is not a causal relationship because it is not true that being taller causes you to be smarter.

A meaningful relationship is one that brings you satisfaction and makes your life richer. This may be a romantic relationship, an academic or business collaboration, or a mutually beneficial community connection. In a meaningful relationship, you are happy and satisfied just being with the other person. You can feel this whether you are together physically or virtually. You are genuinely listening to each other and caring about the other’s needs, joys, and problems.