WoundedDog wrote:
Salonfilosoof wrote:
The downside is that in time they usually become so confident about themselves they no longer need me in their life and either look for "greener pastures" or decide they don't need a man at all. This attitude usually develops between 3 and 6 months into the relationship. I still haven't figured out how to deal with or prevent that...
This is exactly how both relationships I've been in have ended.
Now that's interesting - I believe I have had a few relationships end that way too. A couple actually went off and got married within 6 months.
I honestly believe there's nothing wrong with that. If you care for them, then you want them to grow and to become a better person. You don't want to wind up with someone who is dependent entirely upon you, do you?
"If you love something, let it go. If it comes back, it's meant to be otherwise hunt it down."
Don't try to prolong the inevitable, it only damages the relationship in the long run. But if you find yourself continuously bringing (or growing) people up to your level and they leave, you may need to raise the level of your expectations and standards as the growth should be mutual and similar (but not identical).