People change and forget to tell each other.
– Lillian Hellman
Is it possible to get all types of stimulation from one person? The answer to this question is clearly “yes.” Is it likely that a person will receive all types of stimulation from only one person? The answer to this question is without a doubt “no.” Yet, if it is not likely for anyone to receive all types of stimulation from one person, then each partner should recognize this fact, and allow his/ her partner to experience personal growth in a separate social venue.
Is it possible to get all types of stimulation from one person? The answer to this question is clearly “yes.” Is it likely that a person will receive all types of stimulation from only one person? The answer to this question is without a doubt “no.”
In order for both partners to feel secure in their relationship, they must first recognize their own shortcomings. Each of them must realize that they probably cannot provide all types of stimulation needed (or preferred) by the other partner. Once this fact is acknowledged and accepted, then together the partners can make a contingency plan about how each of them will cooperate with the other in their quest for certain types of stimulation and in what legitimate social venues such stimulation will occur.
The trick is for each partner to make a true assessment of his/her desires and abilities, and then to encourage the other partner to seek out stimulation of the sort not provided by the other partner. The problem with this sort of thinking is that our cultural emphasis on monogamy makes it seem as though our lovers are the one-and-only person we will ever need.
Anyone who has been in a relationship knows this isn’t necessarily the case. Stimulation comes in various types and in a number of venues. For purposes of discussion about the maintenance of a relationship, we will examine six different types of stimulation that are likely to affect any couple. They are [1] spiritual [2] recreational [3] adventurous [4] intellectual and [5] emotional stimulation [6] physical. Again, I’m not saying that these are the only types of stimulation that affect relationships. I include these six types because after countless discussions on this topic, these were the six that repeatedly kept coming up in conversation.
Click on each of the links below to learn more about each type of stimulation:
