Melody Beattie Quotes

It is only when we no longer compulsively need someone that we can have a real relationship with them.

The best relationship is one that does not foster too much independence nor too much dependence, but exists in the healthy interdependence zone.

I don't need to control anything. Even with romantic partnerships, I don't need to control anyone.

Men rarely worry about using or being used because all relationships work that way. A man perceives himself as owning and being owned by a woman. 'Use' is a dirty word only when there's an imbalance in the relationship.

I think it's healthy for couples to be away from each other for short periods.

No matter what the relationship is, if it's a healthy relationship, there is a swing back and forth to anchoring each other, grounding each other and to helping each other process the difficult times.

With any relationship that you have, don't lose yourself in it.

Sometimes you forgive people simply becuase you still want them in your life.

Life and death in a relationship depend on attitudes.

It's like, if this person is going to betray me or deceive me, they're going to do it regardless whether or not I'm texting him constantly or looking through him phone or being jealous. And once you realize that, then jealousy isn't a factor. You're just you, and you can live in the moment.

I love you so much. I love you enough that I want to stay separate from you. You're an extraordinary man, Frank Wright. I could so easily lose myself in your world and never make a world of my own. And where would that leave us? We'd both be bored stupid.

Vladimir: Did I ever leave you? Estragon: You let me go.

When you trust someone, you don't need to know everything.

If you love somebody, set them free.

Relationships are all about trust and equality. If one person shares, then the other person should share, too.

It's a good idea to not get involved with somebody that you don't trust. That's for sure.

A good test of a relationship is how a person responds to the word 'no.' Love respects 'no,' control does not.

My mom gave me a good piece of advice. She said never marry a man thinking you can change him, and I think that starts from your first date when you're in the seventh grade onwards. Women are fixers so we have to just not fix. Don't fix.

I think maybe the key to having a long relationship is really appreciating that person's life and not trying to own it. It's like just stop trying. We all do it.

It always takes two. For relationships to work, for them to break apart, for them to be fixed.

I know that disavowal is an unusal form of betrayal. From the outside it is impossible to tell if you are disowning someone or simply exercising discretion, being considerate, avoiding embarrassments and sources of irritation. But you, who are doing the disowning, you know what you're doing. And disavowal pulls the underpinnings away from a relationship just as surely as other more flamboyant types of betrayal.

One must not permit oneself excesses, except with persons whom one wishes soon to leave.

I remember one time I tried to pity this fool. He told me his name was Jeff. He was married. He pulled out his wallet and showed me three pictures of his kids; Kelly, Robert, Brittany. Real cute kids. Don't get too close man. It's hard to pity a fool if you get too close.

It takes two people to make a friendship work