... that a relationship where you have never been with anyone else, and have been with the same person since you were 15 or so, can lead to that couple staying together and having a happy marriage etc?
I don't mean to offend anyone with this, just a question that I have been wondering for a while.
In my opinion it doesn't generally work as well as relationships where you have been with others first. If someone had asked me when I was with my first boyfriend I would have said yes, of course, it's perfect, bla bla bla.
But now I have had a few boyfriends I think it has made my relationship stronger, as well as making me a generally better person. First relationships seem to be a bit more obsessive, lovey-dovey and a bit sickly if you know what I mean (speaking from personal experience and seeing friends/family), whereas later they get a lot more realistic. This also makes them more challenging, true, but at least then you know you can get through the stresses and be fine on the other side.
I just find it hard to believe that someone can really know who they want to be with if they haven't experienced others to compare, and got over that 'oh he/she is so perfect' phase.
Like I said, I don't mean to offend, and this is just what I have seen in myself and other people, so I just wanted to see what other people think.
And comments saying 'I'm with my first boy/girlfriend and we're going to be together forever' aren't very useful. I'm not saying it can't work, just that it seems less likely to.