This trait is the key to a lasting romance according to experts

This trait is the key to a lasting romance according to expertsThis trait is the key to a lasting romance according to expertsPassion and commitment are widely believed to be the foundation of strong romantic relationships.But a relationship is made of two unique individuals, and personality traits these individuals possess or lack can often make a relationship more likely to endure.In a recent study, we found that one trait in particular humility is an important indicator of successful relationships.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreAn honest view of shortcomingsHumility can sometimes be confused with low self-esteem, low confidence or meekness.But researczu sichs have come to realize that being humble generally indicates the presence of deeply admirable personal qualities. It means you have the ability to accurately assess your deficiencies without denying your skills and stre ngths.For example, you might recognize that youre smart but realize it would be absurd to call yourself all-knowing especially when the scope of human knowledge is so vast. This is an honest and sober view of your shortcomings.As the philosopher Jason Baehr has argued, To be humble is to be attentive to and disposed to own ones limitations, weaknesses, and mistakes. A humble person does not ignore, avoid, or try to deny her limits or deficiencies.If youre humble, you lack a host of negative qualities, such as arrogance and overconfidence. It means you can acknowledge mistakes, see value in things that are riddled with imperfections and identify areas for improvement.The link between humility and forgivenessHumility appears to be a huge asset to relationships. One study found that people tend to rate this quality highly in their significant other. It also found that someone who is humble is more likely to initiate a romantic relationship, perhaps because theyre less likely to see th emselves as too good for someone else.But in our study, we wanted to explore the link between humility and forgiveness in couples.Humility is tricky to measure we worried that people who were hoffrtig might presumptuously declare their humility, while people who were actually humble would, as a sign of their humility, downplay this trait.So we approached this question by asking each partner in a romantic relationship about their own and their partners humility. We hoped that even if a truly humble person didnt consider themselves humble, at least their partner would recognize this trait.We asked 284 couples from the Detroit metropolitan area questions about how humble they were, how humble they thought their partner was and if they were likely to forgive their partner if they did something that was hurtful, like insulting them.We found that people who felt their partner or spouse was humble were more likely to forgive them following a hurtful situation. This wasnt true, however, of those who felt their partner or spouse was arrogant. Many of our respondents with arrogant partners indicated that because their partners were less likely to admit to any personal failings, they were less likely forgive them.Interestingly, the strength of an individuals social network can play a role too. If someone has a humble partner, theyre more likely to forgive that person. If someone has a lot of close, supportive friends and a humble partner, theyll be even more likely to forgive that partner after he or she has screwed up. But if your partner is arrogant, it doesnt matter how many great friends the couple has, theyll still be less likely to be forgiven.The ability to forgive is so important because pain is an inevitable part of any relationship. People mess up. They might say something they dont mean, be unknowingly inconsiderate or forget an important event. So when looking for a partner, its probably a good idea to find someone who recognizes that making mistakes is part of being human.Toni Antonucci, Elizabeth M. Douvan Collegiate Professor of Psychology, University of Michigan Kristine J. Ajrouch, Adjunct Research Professor, Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, and Noah J. Webster, Assistant Research Scientist, Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research, University of MichiganThis article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from nestkken Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people