It makes it easier to build intimacy and get greater fulfilment.
Being true to yourself is the key to a happy and healthy relationship.
People who see themselves objectively and clearly and act consistently with those beliefs have more positive relationships.
Dr Amy Brunell, the study’s first author, said:
“If you’re true to yourself, it is easier to act in ways that build intimacy in relationships, and that’s going to make your relationship more fulfilling.”
The study involved 62 heterosexual couples who were asked about what psychologists call their ‘dispositional authenticity’.
This included questions like: “For better or for worse, I am aware of who I truly am.”
The results showed that men and women who reported being more true to themselves behaved in more intimate ways and they felt more positive about their relationship.
Dr Brunell said:
“Typically in dating and marital relationships, the women tend to be ‘in charge’ of intimacy in the relationship.
So when men have this dispositional authenticity, and want to have an open, honest relationship, it makes women’s job easier — they can more easily regulate intimacy.”
Dr Brunell said that it wasn’t just about accepting flaws in yourself, but being aware of limitations:
“It shouldn’t be a surprise, but being true to yourself is linked to having healthier and happier relationships for both men and women.”
The study was published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences (Brunell et al., 2010).
