5 Signs Your Partner Is Marriage Material

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsIndependentLevel-HeadedThoughtfulSupportiveSelf-Confident

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Independent

Level-Headed

Thoughtful

Supportive

Self-Confident

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Marriage is a serious commitment intended to last a lifetime. If you aredatingwith marriage in mind, it is important to look for qualities that would make someone a good life partner.

Choosing a good partner can have a major impact on your well-being. You want to look forcertain characteristicsthat will benefit yourrelationshipin the long term.

In order to do this, you need to search past chemistry and the physical attributes you find very attractive. Not everyone would make a good spouse (or rather, a good spousefor you).

A person who would make a good life partner should be strong, responsible, and capable of being alone. Of course, you will also need to have these qualities yourself in order to be a good spouse.

How to Know If You’ll Ever Get Married?

An independent person will not rely on you to take care of them or keep them happy and occupied. An independent personwantsyou rather thanneedsyou. They won’t beclingyor demanding of your time.

Someone who requires constant attention and reassurance could make marriage more difficult. An independent person is strong, confident, and not afraid to be alone. An independent person is:

Independence ensures that each partner is capable of taking care of themselves. However, they are also able to give and ask for support when it is needed. People who are able to take care of themselves are also in a better position to give care, attention, and support when you need it.

Understand that someinterdependencyis healthy. Ideally, each person can fully function on their own. However, they also know how to reach for each other when they need emotional support.

Emotional regulation and availability are also important.Part of being a good partner involves sharing things about yourself and listening and learning more about your partner. This emotional give-and-take helps foster a deeper, more intimate connection between two people. A good partner is one who is willing to be open and share emotions in a steady, level-headed way.

This quality also plays a key role incommunication, which is essential in any good relationship.A calm attitude allows people to approach conflicts in a way that leads to productive solutions that make relationships stronger and more successful. Rather than butting heads over issues and leaving problems to fester, healthy communication promotes resolutions that help both partners feel happier.

You should also feel that they are a good resource for times when you might be under stress. You can count on their abilities, intelligence, and advice when you can’t count on your own.

A great partner is someone who thinks not only of you but of others as well. Pay attention to how they treat the people in their lives, from their peers to their parents to the people they encounter in everyday life.

It’s great if they treat the people they are close to well—but how they treat casual acquaintances and strangers also reveals a lot about a person’s character. A thoughtful partner:

Research suggests that having a partner who is kind, gentle, and understanding is linked to lower marital conflict and higher marital satisfaction.

Look for a partner who treats others the way that they want to be treated. A person who has a kind character is more likely to treat you with care and respect.

A partner who is thoughtful,empathetic, and compassionate is more likely to take the time to try and understand how other people are feeling. They are more likely to care and to try to take action to resolve problems in a relationship. Beyond that, they are going to be more pleasant to be around in the long term.

It’s important that your individual goals and your partner’s complement each other. While they certainly don’t need to be the same, they should not be so divergent as to cause a rift between you.

Whether they are standing up to you, a family member, or a friend, you want a partner who will not let people treat them badly. If they accept poor treatment from you or others, eventually you may lose respect for them. A self-confident partner:

A person who stands up for themselves has self-confidence and will not let anyone bully them, talk down to them, or act as though their opinions don’t matter.

A Word From Verywell

While having these qualities is not a guarantee that a person will be a great spouse, these characteristics are a great place to start. When it comes to looking for someone who is marriage material, think about the things that are most important to you, including your values and goals, and pay attention to whether your potential partners possess those qualities. Choosing the right person—and being a good partner yourself—is critical for a lasting relationship and long-term satisfaction.

Fulfilling Your Needs in a Relationship

6 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Sels L, Ceulemans E, Bulteel K, Kuppens P.Emotional interdependence and well-being in close relationships.Front Psychol. 2016;7:283. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00283American Psychological Association.Healthy ways to handle life’s stressors.Bloch L, Haase CM, Levenson RW.Emotion regulation predicts marital satisfaction: More than a wives' tale.Emotion. 2014;14(1):130-144. doi:10.1037/a0034272Lavner JA, Karney BR, Bradbury TN.Does couples' communication predict marital satisfaction, or does marital satisfaction predict communication?J Marriage Fam. 2016;78(3):680-694. doi:10.1111/jomf.12301Iveniuk J, Waite LJ, McClintock MK, Teidt AD.Marital conflict in older couples: Positivity, personality, and health.J Marriage Fam. 2014;76(1):130-144. doi:10.1111/jomf.12085Gere J, Almeida DM, Martire LM.The effects of lack of joint goal planning on divorce over 10 years.PLoS ONE. 2016;11(9):e0163543. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0163543

6 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Sels L, Ceulemans E, Bulteel K, Kuppens P.Emotional interdependence and well-being in close relationships.Front Psychol. 2016;7:283. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00283American Psychological Association.Healthy ways to handle life’s stressors.Bloch L, Haase CM, Levenson RW.Emotion regulation predicts marital satisfaction: More than a wives' tale.Emotion. 2014;14(1):130-144. doi:10.1037/a0034272Lavner JA, Karney BR, Bradbury TN.Does couples' communication predict marital satisfaction, or does marital satisfaction predict communication?J Marriage Fam. 2016;78(3):680-694. doi:10.1111/jomf.12301Iveniuk J, Waite LJ, McClintock MK, Teidt AD.Marital conflict in older couples: Positivity, personality, and health.J Marriage Fam. 2014;76(1):130-144. doi:10.1111/jomf.12085Gere J, Almeida DM, Martire LM.The effects of lack of joint goal planning on divorce over 10 years.PLoS ONE. 2016;11(9):e0163543. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0163543

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Sels L, Ceulemans E, Bulteel K, Kuppens P.Emotional interdependence and well-being in close relationships.Front Psychol. 2016;7:283. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00283American Psychological Association.Healthy ways to handle life’s stressors.Bloch L, Haase CM, Levenson RW.Emotion regulation predicts marital satisfaction: More than a wives' tale.Emotion. 2014;14(1):130-144. doi:10.1037/a0034272Lavner JA, Karney BR, Bradbury TN.Does couples' communication predict marital satisfaction, or does marital satisfaction predict communication?J Marriage Fam. 2016;78(3):680-694. doi:10.1111/jomf.12301Iveniuk J, Waite LJ, McClintock MK, Teidt AD.Marital conflict in older couples: Positivity, personality, and health.J Marriage Fam. 2014;76(1):130-144. doi:10.1111/jomf.12085Gere J, Almeida DM, Martire LM.The effects of lack of joint goal planning on divorce over 10 years.PLoS ONE. 2016;11(9):e0163543. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0163543

Sels L, Ceulemans E, Bulteel K, Kuppens P.Emotional interdependence and well-being in close relationships.Front Psychol. 2016;7:283. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00283

American Psychological Association.Healthy ways to handle life’s stressors.

Bloch L, Haase CM, Levenson RW.Emotion regulation predicts marital satisfaction: More than a wives' tale.Emotion. 2014;14(1):130-144. doi:10.1037/a0034272

Lavner JA, Karney BR, Bradbury TN.Does couples' communication predict marital satisfaction, or does marital satisfaction predict communication?J Marriage Fam. 2016;78(3):680-694. doi:10.1111/jomf.12301

Iveniuk J, Waite LJ, McClintock MK, Teidt AD.Marital conflict in older couples: Positivity, personality, and health.J Marriage Fam. 2014;76(1):130-144. doi:10.1111/jomf.12085

Gere J, Almeida DM, Martire LM.The effects of lack of joint goal planning on divorce over 10 years.PLoS ONE. 2016;11(9):e0163543. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0163543

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