Trevor Noah explains why strong friendships are key to a long-lasting romantic relationship

There's no greater feeling than falling in love! You find a person who matches your vibe and makes an effort to get to know you inside and out, and before you know it, they become your entire world. Everything looks picture-perfect, except it isn't! You invest so much into your partner that you hardly have time for your friends, and that ends up ruining your romantic relationships, too. Trevor Noah, the stand-up comedian, knows it better than anybody else. In a conversation with Simon Sinek, he beautifully explained why strong friendships are a key to long-lasting romantic relationships, and it's a lesson worth remembering.

Noah explained that when a person enters a romantic relationship, they shift their entire focus to one person and expect support, attention, and love in return. But why is it wrong? Well, it is because people start expecting everything they get from their social circle from this one person they have. The comedian mentioned studies that have shown having a trusted friend with whom you can share your relationship is actually beneficial. He said, "Having a friend where you can talk sh*t about your partner, too, which is healthy by the way, actually improves your chances of staying with your partner." Imagine the love you had been receiving from a group of people, you now expect a single person to fulfil it, and when it doesn't happen, you feel frustrated while questioning your relationships. 

A study led by Robin Dunbar found that when people enter a new romantic relationship, they lose about two close friends from their inner circle. "If you go into a romantic relationship, it costs you two friends. Those who have romantic relationships, instead of having the typical five 'core set' of relationships, only have four. And of those, one is the new person who's come into their life," Dunbar said, according to The Guardian. This explains why Noah said losing friends affects romantic relationships.

Meanwhile, netizens loved how gracefully Noah addressed something people often forget; reacting to it, Monique Lewis commented, "I agree! Strong friendships are healthy for you, whether you're single or in a romantic relationship. It's nothing like having someone who you feel loved, respected, and safe with, with NO strings attached."

On the other hand, Amely Castillo wrote, "I am half and half on this. Yes, it’s so important to have that social support outside of your relationship and be able to vent, but venting outside about the problem too much can, at many times, inflate the problem… If you want to improve the relationship, tackle it at its source, be open, be raw, and seek therapy if you need it, if the relationship can sustain it." Swan Malley said, "Thank you, Trevor, for speaking about this so eloquently. I've been talking about this for quite some time. I'm just happy somebody else has addressed it." Diana Musfeldt commented, "It's exhausting. Never a break when one person is your emotional support animal all the time. No one ever likes everything about the other person. That's why we have the capacity to let people into our hearts at different levels. It's just different affection and love."

You can follow Trevor Noah on Facebook for more such enlightening content.

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