I (33M) ended a 2-year relationship a little more than a month ago. My dating history has been a mix of serial long-term relationships (2yr, 6.5yr, 1yr, 2yr) punctuated by a… good bit… of short-term flings.
It feels like I’ve been in every kind of situation with some years under my belt to boot. I eventually encountered an internal voice saying some version of “I love this person, but I’m pretty sure this isn’t the one for the rest of my life” in each of my long-term relationships.
Whenever that voice becomes loud and persistent, it eventually leads to the end of the relationship. Sometimes messy, but not always. This last breakup was communicative and healthy, thankfully.
When did you know your partner was right for you? How sure were you? Did you ever have your doubts about a person that \*became\* the one for you? What changed? Why did you see it out instead of calling it?
What about the concept of “the one”? Feels too simple. Life’s a little messy for everyone and I’m sure people have their tradeoffs. I’m pretty sure there are many people alive and available (distance, compatibility, etc) that any one person could live a happy life with.
If that’s the case, how did you make the choice to commit to the one you’re with despite any reservations?
TL;DR How do you know when you’ve found your life partner? Is it clear-cut and certain? How did you decide to commit if it wasn’t? Short answers and perspectives are welcome too.