Many of the most exciting people are also the
most dangerous. Reckless people can be detrimental to our health. To what lows will they go to attain new
heights? Because they've got the emotional range of a roller coaster, when they
go down, they go down hard. Anyone in their path will be dragged along with
them. When they're experiencing one of their highs, they can be nearly
irresistible.
We
are often drawn into relationships that perpetuate a pattern we are familiar
with. We all pick our partners in life in hopes of getting the love we longed
for and may not have gotten from our parents. Unfortunately, in our cleverness,
we often pick partners who are reasonable facsimiles of our parents. Since we
still need love and approval, we continue to try to get it from our partners
just as we tried with our parents.
As
I explore the sometimes toxic relationship between “Schoolmarms and Cowboys” It
seems that what I’m actually looking at is the contrast between dreamers and
realists. The realist and the dreamer are often to be the most unlikely of
friends, polar opposites in fact, often standing in direct opposition from one
another. Dreamers love to indulge in the land of “Imagine if…” They are “big
picture” people with ambitious ideas and high hopes for radical outcomes and
experiences in life. They live with their head in the clouds imagining and
wishing for a better tomorrow. Unfortunately dreams don’t become a reality
based on enthusiasm alone.
When
it comes to relationships, dreamers are romantics. They are inspiring and encouraging
people to be around and their “Land of Oz” mentality makes them contagious
leaders. The difference between dreamers and realists is that dreamers
recognize the change necessary for their desired outcome. Instead of wallowing
in thoughts that reassert the limitations and tribulations that they’re
experiencing they indulge on their dreams and desires and focus all their
energies on what they passionately crave.
The realist, on the other hand, is
much more concerned with the practical details. They pride themselves on having
their feet firmly planted on the floor and their head in the real world. They are practical thinkers and problem
solvers, high achievers and highly productive. The realists have good intentions
to bring constructive ideas and feedback to see forward movement, but they are
often accused of being dream destroyers because of their profound ability to
instantly identify potential obstacles and issues that can bring down a dream
and smash it into a thousand pieces with one word!
Opposites attract, or so the saying
goes, but at first glance this relationship seems doomed. The dreamer is
constantly frustrated because he feels as though the realist is always
negative. The realist is driven crazy by the unrealistic fantasy-like ideas of
the dreamer. However, when the best aspects of these two characters are meshed
together magic happens! When the dreamer can encourage the realist to lift her
head a little higher and dream a little bigger and when the realist can
encourage the dreamer to come back down to earth long enough to put some form
and structure in place, the sky is the limit! The result could be one very dynamic and
successful partnership. The best chance
of seeming a dream fully realized is to get both aspects of these characters on
board. And it is the hope of creating this magic that draws the two
together like moths to a flame.
Unfortunately,
the relationship can just as easily turn toxic. Dreamers are often narcissistic
in that everything centers on their needs and wants. If you have been trained
to put the needs of others above your own, you spend your time in service to
your partner. The relationship begins to alter who you are and you lose control
of your life. You become more invested in the relationship because you are
serving your partner. Yet they grow less vested in the relationship and show
less respect for your efforts. Each day you surrender a part of yourself in order
to keep your toxic partner from jumping on the roller coasters and taking you
on another emotional, toxic ride. You
begin to feel devalued. You get weaker and weaker until you don’t like who you
have become.
So why would anyone get caught up in this terrible
situation in the first place? Why wouldn’t
they get out at the first sign that the relationship has turned toxic? The easiest choice is to continue the relationship
and hope that the other person changes. This is rarely successful, but the one
most socially acceptable to previous generations of men and women caught in
toxic relationships. It’s what perpetuates the myth of “Ozzie and Harriet” that
we all lead lives of perfect harmony. The second is to attempt to minimize the
damage that the relationship is causing by limiting contact, also known as “The
Silent Treatment”, and trust that the other person will get the message. Neither
of these methods of dealing with the situation has ever proven very
successful. The third, and definitely the
most challenging, is to confront the issue and end the relationship in all
forms. This is also the most painful choice if ending the relationship involves
children, uncertain finances and social pressure.
Dreamers and realists will
continue to be attracted to one another as long as there is a chance that we can
create the magic. But if the relationship turns toxic, we must be willing to
cut our losses and move on. Once we know
why we make the choices we do, we can begin to constructively change our way of
thinking about relationships and choose the healthiest option, rather than the most
comfortable one.
