We were a little surprised when we came across this — but a new study suggests that if a couple in your social circle breaks up, the odds of you splitting up with your partner increase by 75 per cent! Believe it or not, just like you are bound to spread the symptoms of a flu when you get one, this holds true for social behavior too. So like smoking and drinking, breaking up with your lover is also contagious and could spread and become a threat to the other people in your life.
This statement may sound like a hyperbole and not logical to many of you, but there might just be some truth to the break-up domino effect. If your close friend, sibling or office colleague is going through a rough patch in their relationship or having a seperation, sub-consciously, you might emulate them. If things around you are crumbling and falling apart, don't you think there is a probability that it might affect your life a wee bit too?
When asked about this strange phenomenon, relationship expert Seema Hingorrany said, "It's a good study, but it doesn't always hold true. People who get affected by other people's break-ups are usually very vulnerable and sensitive. It's like the herd syndrome, where you follow things without realising it. I recently had a case, where a client told me that she had a friend who constantly fought with her boyfriend. Since she was exposed to her friend's situation, even she started having the same arguments with her own boyfriend." No matter how careful you are when it comes to protecting your relationship, if you face situations like these, chances are, you will start behaving in a particular manner. This can eventually lead to a break-up.
Sometimes when you have somebody very close to you going through a situation in their lives — whether good or bad — it will make you introspect. While no one is naïve or silly enough to have a break-up just because their best friend is having one, it is bound to make them wonder if they are going on the right path, and if the relationship is worth it. And for some of us, it may take away the taboo of something that might have seemed alien a while before!
DON'T LET OTHERS THREATEN YOUR RELATIONSHIP
> One man's medicine is another man's poison. So don't follow the other person's actions blindly or imitate them. What may be the solution for him/her, may not be the right action in your case.
> At times like these, you need to make a conscious effort to keep yourself and your relationship away from negativity. Remind yourself of the positive aspects of your relationship.
> Seize the opportunity and evaluate your relationship in a constructive manner. What's working well? What are your relationship's strengths and weaknesses? Make this the time to take out whatever issues you've swept under the rug and solve them.
> Communication is very important with your partner. If you have doubt or issues troubling you, address them then and there. You don't want them snowballing into something bigger later.
> Every relationship has a protocol, rules that two people follow. They differ from people to people. So don't compare your relationship with your friend's. Have your own identity.
