At the beginning of this article, I’d like to ask everyone a question: what does love mean to a woman? I’m sure everyone will have different answers to this question.

In real life, every girl has high hopes for love, but a woman’s greatest virtue isn’t being submissive; it’s respecting herself.

They met through a speech competition, coming from different schools, and were both school celebrities. In the end, Hao Wen came in second place, with only a one-point difference, and the first place winner was a seemingly weak girl. Hao Wen was deeply impressed by this girl and wanted to get to know her.

Through a friend’s introduction, they exchanged phone numbers, and Hao Wen would often take the initiative to chat with her, using learning as an excuse. Later, Hao Wen found out that the girl’s name was Shan Shan, and thus began their conversation.

Shan Shan was a kind and honest girl who would always give sincere answers to Hao Wen’s questions.

As a result, their feelings for each other grew stronger, and since they attended different universities, they started a long-distance relationship. During their college years, they went to many places together and participated in various competitions, and their tacit understanding of each other deepened.

Throughout their four years of college, they had each other’s company, and after graduation, they got married smoothly under their parents’ arrangement.

After getting married, Shan Shan became a full-time housewife, and although they had a happy family, the distance between them grew, and their conversations became more mundane due to having children.

Hao Wen felt that he and Shan Shan were losing common ground, and their relationship was becoming increasingly rigid. After their one-year anniversary, their conflicts finally erupted.

Due to a disagreement, they had their first quarrel, but Shan Shan chose to compromise because she had a child to consider. For the sake of her family, Shan Shan gave up her career and ideals, thinking that her sacrifices would touch her partner’s heart, but ultimately, she realized that she was only touching her own heart.

Later, Shan Shan finally understood that in a relationship, a woman’s greatest virtue isn’t being submissive to a man, but rather learning to respect herself.

Loving Yourself Is the Beginning of Romance

Many women give up their careers for their families, and many may think that sacrificing oneself for a man is an unavoidable thing after marriage. However, this kind of thinking is actually the most foolish.

Lin Huiyin once said, “Adult love means not being too clingy.” Upon reflection, this sentence is not wrong. Even after marriage, the two individuals are still independent, so having independent space is crucial at this time.

Women must always remember that loving yourself is the beginning of lifelong romance. When you learn to love yourself, your life will receive more respect. If you put all your energy into a man every day, you’ll be the one who gets hurt in the end.

Respect Is Mutual

In relationships, we must understand that respect is mutual. When you make sacrifices for a man, you should also learn to ask for returns. Two people together require respect, and when a man doesn’t know how to respect you, you’ll become cheaper in his eyes.

A happy marriage requires two people to work together, and if only one person is making sacrifices, the relationship will eventually come to nothing.

Lin Huiyin once said, “If you love someone, you must admit defeat.” This sentence is not wrong. Loving someone means learning to be considerate of each other, and if one person can’t even respect you, your sacrifices will be meaningless.

Lin Huiyin said, “No one will be good to you just because you love them.” So, your humility in relationships won’t be appreciated by anyone. Being a confident woman will earn you more respect in relationships.

When we face relationships, we all have high hopes. For a woman, meeting a man who loves herself is a kind of luck.

If not, married life will be extremely difficult. Don’t be naive and think that sacrificing everything for a man will make him love you for life. In relationships, only by learning to love yourself can you earn more love from others.

For a woman, humility in relationships cannot bring anything. Only when you learn to respect yourself will others love you more. In front of men, women must learn to value themselves; only then will they not be underestimated.