Would you consider yourself happy in your relationship? Some of us get into relationships and when they start to stall, we don't really take the time to make sure we're getting all of our needs met. And new data shows that we may not be as a happy in our relationships as we want to be.
According to a survey of 2,000 American adults conducted by adult retailer EdenFantasys, we've got some work to do within our relationships. In fact, when asked to grade their partners on different attributes, Americans ended up giving their partners an average of 80 percent — barely scraping a B-.
If you feel like your relationship wouldn't get a passing grade, don't be shy about asking for what you want. "Women are told by parents, society, their own negative self-talk, etc., that they must fit some mold rather than lead with their own preferences,” life coach and relationship expert Diana Mitchem tells Bustle. “[T]here is no need to feel guilty when you are personally clear about the kind of person with whom you are looking to connect." If not, you could end up in a lackluster relationship.
But the survey data wasn't all bad. With an average of 85 percent (B), people rated their partner strong in the friendship department. And weren't too disappointed in their kissing skills, either. But still, there was a lot to be desired.
Below, you'll find a breakdown of how Americans ranked different categories of their relationship to get the overall grade of B-.
1Spontaneity: 75% (C)
What's life without a little spark? Americans gave their partners an average of a C when it came to spontaneity, showing there are some real dating ruts afoot. It's easy to get complacent, but it's so important to fight that urge.
2Making An Effort With Friends: 76% (C)
This is an area where I would think expectations would be high, but apparently lots of people are just "meh" at making an effort with their partner's friends.
3Listening Skills: 78% (C+)
Listening skills are definitely an area where you want your partner to perform — and for you to feel secure and content. But we're only scoring our partners at 78 percent — not even a B. You deserve better, America.
4Showing Affection In Public: 77 (C+)
This seems more like a taste issue — some people love PDA, while others hate it. But there still seems to be a discrepancy between partners in this department.
5Patience: 78% (C+)
Patience is another area where you really can't have too much of a good thing, so why are so many people in relationships getting such low marks in this department?
6Romance Overall: 78% (C+)
Generally, when it came to our partner's romantic capabilities, they were solidly in the C range — only averaging a score of 78 percent.
7Making An Effort With Family/Parents: 80% (B-)
Scores were a little bit higher when it came to family than they were with making an effort with friends, but we still only managed to average an 80 percent.
8Fashion Sense: 80% (B)
I've never thought to rank a partner on fashion sense, but for some people it's really important, and we're only scoring an 80 percent.
9Film/TV Taste: 80% (B)
Surely, you need some pretty solid film and TV taste overlap in order to have a functioning relationship? I guess 80 percent is enough for you to agree on some things, but disagree on others.
Nobody's perfect, but you'd hope that if you have to give your partner a grade the result would be a little higher than 80 percent. Even though no relationship or person is without their flaws, don't be afraid to go out and find a relationship that really makes you happy — or, at the very least, you'd give a solid B+.
