Do couples go through relationship stages at the same time?

[nyckidd]

My question is, do couples go through the relationship stages at the same time? and if one partner is on a different stage does this usually lead to the ending of the relationship?

[KikiW]

I think more often they go through changes at different times, it's just whether the other partner follows along or fights against it that makes the difference.

 

For instance, my husband has a very high sex drive. Early in our relationship, mine was able to meet his, but I warned him that it would likely drop off a little after a while. Lo and behold, I was right. He'd like it every day or twice a day, I am more on a schedule of every 3-5 days. So we have settled into an every-other-day routine, sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less. But we can live with that. If he fought against it and demanded his needs trumped mine, or vice versa, we would not be able to stay together. I think the people who break apart are the ones who cannot find a middle ground that they don't eventually resent.