Symmetrical Relationships vs. Complimentary Relationships | - healthy vs unhealthy
What kind of relationship do you have? Symmetrical or Complimentary? I discuss the break down of the two types and weigh the pros and cons of Symmetrical Relationships and Complimentary Relationships in this video. There is no judgment on which type of relationship better. I will breakdown the psychology of their differences and what it means.
Marie Hartwell-Walker, EdD wrote a good article about the differences and I'll post her examples below:
" In healthy symmetrical relationships, the two parties mirror each other. One person’s success gets celebrated (respected, admired) from the other who then works to be equally successful who then gets celebrated (respected, admired) for their success and so forth. An unhealthy example of symmetry would be of two siblings who are brutally competitive with each other. Neither can rest in their anxiety to always be on top. Each spends his life anxiously looking over his shoulder to see whether his brother is besting him and renewing his own efforts to be best and first. "
" In healthy complementary relationships, the pattern of each person’s behavior fits or is complementary to the other. Sometimes this is expressed as a division of labor where one person takes on a project while the other provides support for that person’s success which makes the other person more successful which is then supported by the other. Both recognize and appreciate the other’s contribution to the project. An unhealthy complementarity can be seen in couples where one person dominates disrespects and controls the other and the other person responds by becoming more and more passively the victim. "
Source:
APA Reference
Hartwell-Walker, M. (2017). Symmetrical and Complementary Relationships. Psych Central. Retrieved on November 1, 2019, from https://pro.psychcentral.com/symmetri...
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