When you have an abundance of knowledge, you are able to draw conclusions from seemingly unconnected information.

I’ve always called it useless knowledge, but to each their own. There’s a certain natural fascination with the way some mathematical truths occur repeatedly in nature. For instance, the Fibonacci Sequence and flower heads, rabbit reproduction, and shell structure. I know what you’re thinking, “Golden? Fibonacci Sequence? Oh no! Are you going to start talking about Phi?” Yes!

These natural occurring patterns and numerical theories can help us with our everyday lives… if we take a moment to simply look at them from a humanistic view. Otherwise known as hippie talk.

The golden ratio

Golden ratios are mathematical correlations between two things where the ratio of the sum of the two parts to the… it doesn’t matter. The key is that this ratio 1.618033988749894… appears almost everywhere in nature. Artists during the Renaissance even discovered that objects in this ratio made artwork more pleasing to the eye. In more current times, this ratio is used to study man-made systems like financial markets. It’s fundamental.

Now, what if those two things are people? Starting with our actions, where everything should, let’s start lining our actions up with the golden ratio. In any relationship, give 1.61803398875… times what you are receiving. (Tweet this)

When both partners in the relationship give more than they receive, the relationship grows… much like the seeds in a flower head, the number of rabbits, and the size of the shell. However, with a relationship, both partners will experience times where they can give a little more… and times when they cannot give as much. This is natural. It’s OK.

The Golden Mean

First illuminated by Aristotle, the Golden Mean is “the desirable middle between two extremes, one of excess and the other of deficiency”. Today, we simply call this “balance,” but that term has become something of a generic filler word. Doesn’t it have more impact to say “I’m looking for the desirable middle ground”?

In the relationship, this middle ground happens when one partner stands up to be strong while the other is unable to… (and here’s the key) while the other partner is grateful for it and becomes the stronger partner when the first is unable to.

The relationship has no chance of growing… or even suitable survival… if one of the partners is never willing to be the one to give more. (Tweet this)

We tend to give in a relationship what the other gives to us. If someone is really kind in a relationship, the partner is often kind in return. That {insert trait here} has to start with someone. Why not you? Why not give into the relationship what it is that you want in return. Or better, give a little more.