Your relationship needs intimacy, passion, and commitment if you want it to stand the test of time. Not only that, you need enough of these three qualities to help you get through the rough or dull parts. And lastly, you need realistic expectations of what a relationship can realistically provide.

Dr. Robert Sternberg is a professor of Human Development at Cornell University, the author of The New Psychology of love, and has been writing on the subject of love for over 30 years.