#4: They don’t try to turn you into a copy of themselves.

One of the main questions I often get from people around me when it comes to relationships is,

“How do I know my partner is the one?”

You know that feeling when you meet someone gorgeous, go on a couple of days and you immediately start thinking, “Ok, I think I’ve found my forever person”?

That’s enthusiasm speaking — you can never know if a person matches you completely unless you’ve spent significant time with them, and gotten to know them on a deeper level.

You see, a lot of people think that “the one” is a person who makes your heart beat faster, fills you with adrenaline, and goes on exciting adventures with you. And although these things are important elements of a relationship, many people out there can give them to you.

“The one” is the person with whom you can see spending the rest of your life, and not because they are devilishly handsome — sparks and enthusiasm fade after a while — but because they respect you, care about you, accept all of you, and support you all the way.

Here are five subtle signs you’ve found your forever person in your partner.

1. They’re Proud of Your Achievements

A partner that genuinely cares about you and deserves to remain by your side, will always be proud of your achievements, celebrate them with you and share your happiness.

Your forever person is someone whose face lightens up each time they hear about your success, wants to hear more, and doesn’t just respond with, “Oh, that’s great, honey. Well done.” and then simply continues to wash the dishes.

According to this article, published in Psychology Today, an active response from your partner when it comes to good news, brightens up and strengthens your relationship:

“What truly enlivens a relationship, though, is an active constructive response, when the person who hears about our success is sincerely happy for us. An active constructive response shows generosity of spirit and eagerness to hear more about the good news. Celebrating triumphs in life, from small, seemingly trivial ones to those that are more significant, strengthens the bond between two people.”

Friendly tip: If you notice that your partner is being indifferent to your happiness/success or even worse, that they antagonize you, sit down and have a serious conversation about it — that kind of behavior is a huge red flag.

2. They Know All of Your Your Flaws and Quirks — and Accept Them

At a beginning of a relationship, most of us prefer to hide our flaws and quirks from our partners, fearing that, once they see them, they won’t like us anymore. As a relationship progresses, however, hiding those personality traits of ours that we’re not so proud of, becomes impossible.

When that time comes, your partner’s behavior towards your flaws and weaknesses will determine whether they are, after all, your forever person — or, “the one”.

You’ll know that your partner is that kind of person when they will have seen all your flaws and will still love you either way. At the end of the day, we’re all flawed. What matters most when it comes to the success of a relationship, is that your partner accepts both your good and bad side. Especially the bad one.

As is explained in this article from School of Life:

“It sounds deeply unromantic to devote sustained attention to the flaws of one’s partner. We’re supposed to be merely entranced by all that’s admirable about them. Yet getting a clear-eyed and penetrating view of the failings of the person one shares one’s life with is perhaps the kindest and most love-sustaining thing we can do. This is because the success or failure of a relationship doesn’t hinge on whether another person is flawed: they definitely are.”

Friendly tip: Just because your partner accepts your flaws and weaknesses, doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t strive to become better. We should all work on becoming better versions of ourselves, even if our partners adore us just the way we are.

3. They Always Ask About Your Day

One mistake many couples — that have been together for a while — do, is taking their partner for granted and not making time to truly connect with them.

After a long day of work and stress, most of us have little energy to talk with our partners about our days. We still care for and love each other, of course, — we’re just exhausted.

But, the truth is, regardless of our energy levels, we can always find the time to ask our partner about their day, even if it’s for a couple of minutes.

If your partner finds the time and energy to have a meaningful conversation with you and ask about your day, even if it’s evident that they are exhausted, it’s a good sign that they are your forever person.

Friendly tip: Remember that it’s okay if your partner once in a while forgets to ask you about your day, because they're tired, anxious, or something’s troubling them — we’re all human, after all. But, if you notice that they keep neglecting you, you should definitely discuss it with them.

4. They Don’t Try to Turn You Into a Copy of Themselves

I once had a friend that was shy, struggled with socializing, and always preferred staying home over going out.

Then, she got into a relationship with someone completely opposite from her — an energetic, hypersocial guy that rarely stayed home and could never get enough of parties. Suddenly, she was out all the time, drinking and partying as if there was no tomorrow. She had become a copy of her boyfriend— something she would later regret.

Unfortunately, many people have a hard time accepting anyone and anything that feels different and unfamiliar to them. They think that the way they think, act, and behave, is how everyone should think/act/behave. That’s why they try to change the people around them and especially their romantic partners.

If that sounds familiar to you, then your partner is not the one you should be sharing your life with. The ideal partner will accept you exactly as you are and will never try to change you or turn you into a copy of themselves.

Friendly tip: If you've found a person who accepts and likes every side of you, hold on to them tight; these people are rare and you should appreciate them more for it.

5. They Always Ask Your Opinion Before Making a Decision

One important sign that can indicate your partner is “the one” for you, is when they ask for your opinion on matters that are important to them — especially when they’re about to make a major choice or decision.

Imagine your partner comes home one day and announces that they just quit their job. Of course, you are confused and ask them what happened, only for them to tell you something along the lines of, “I’ve been thinking about it for a while, so I just did it today.”

Wouldn’t you think that they should have at least discussed it with you?

When you share your life with someone, you’re supposed to share your thoughts and feelings with them too, especially when it comes to an important decision that you have to make.

Plus, when you do share everything that’s in your mind with them, they’ll feel more comfortable doing the same with you.

As clinical psychologist Randi Gunther explains in this article,

“When partners can share their most intimate thoughts, feelings, and motivations, they can create the melding of minds that makes people feel like they live in each other’s minds. When they feel their ideas and opinions truly matter to the other, they automatically share more openly and more vulnerably.”

Friendly tip: Don’t be afraid that your partner is gonna judge you if you share with them your most intimate thoughts or that you’re gonna hurt them if your opinions differ. Honesty is the basis for a successful relationship.

Final Thoughts

You can never know for sure whether you and your partner are truly meant to be with each other until your relationship stands the test of time.

However, there are some subtle signs that can help you understand whether you chose the right partner, like their attitude towards your achievements and flaws, whether they ask about your day and whether they accept you just the way you are, or how much they value your opinion.

Make sure you don’t settle for someone who doesn’t treat you good enough because you deserve to be with a person who does all these things — and more.