i used to think that relationships are made to last longer when especially, sex is involved, though i don't believe that. I have watched my friends in thier several relationships, even with the sex but am still yet to find out what exactly it takes to keep a relationship long?! What do you think please?

Commitment and honesty.

Relationships wont last if peeps go into it with wrong reasons. The essence of any relationship should be d commitment to the good of d other. The male is meant 4 d female, n d female 4 d male, 4 companionship, 4 sanctification, 4 refuge NOT just sex.

Loyalty, good communication skills and understanding

Accepting your partner for who they are, good communication, living in the moment but for the future, and a good sense of humour.

mondi_cheeks: Loyalty, good communication skills and understanding

And trust

There is only one word; COMMITMENT

[

Mynd_44:
And trust

true

You'll need a LONG ROPE to keep a relationship Long.

poster, there are so many things out there that keep a working relationship going but these same reasons could still destroy the relationship. I kinda see understanding each other as the first key part in a relationship before knowing which and what nots on order to maintain the link

^^
Smh

Learn to overluk flaws n stop findin faults

To add to what some posters have previously posted...below are a few tips on how to have a successful relationship.

1. Be sure of what you want:
I've come across countless threads on Nairaland. And by merely reading a few lines, you'll know that they are confused.

A girl would claim to love guy A, along the line, she would meet guy B, then dump guy A.

Months later guy A would re-surface, and she would want him back...now she's confused and needs our help.

That seems to be the major problem most girls work themselves into.

The important thing here is that you should be sure of what you want before going into a relationship...don't just dive in simply because the guy got swags, or he's well built...etc.

Make sure that you both are compatible, in that way you can be sure that when eventually you both decide to date, its going to be a long term stuff.

2. Ask your conscience
This may be the hardest to face, but it’s also the easiest way to create a fulfilling and happy long term relationship. Do you really think you’re doing all it takes to keep your partner happy and your relationship glowing bright?

Ask your own conscience if you’re sincerely making the effort and doing the right thing to bring happiness into your partner’s life? If your conscience thinks you can come up with better ways to please your partner, it’s obvious you aren’t giving it your all. A successful long term relationship involves two lovers who care about each other’s happiness more than their own.

If you can’t put your soulmate’s happiness ahead of yours, are you really in love or are you just wrapped around your own desires? We see girls asking guys for ridiculous amounts of cash, and recharge cards...such practice is wrong and can make a seeming long relationship end.

3 Never let frustrations and hatred build up
Never ever let a mole hill grow into a mountain. If something about your partner or their behavior disturbs you, learn to say it out immediately. Every time you yell at a partner or find yourself getting frustrated, you have to understand that it doesn’t happen all of a sudden.

Frustrations always build up slowly. What starts off as a little nagging thought slowly builds up over time into hatred and anger. But if you let things build up in your head, your partner would never understand the things that really bother you, until the day you burst out in a rage.

Retaliation and ego are the two traits of humans that surface first when someone makes an accusation. Unless you’re looking for an argument, help you partner understand you better by talking about anything that bothers you, even if it seems trivial at first. [Read: How to fight fair in a relationship]

4. Be truthful and frank with each other
If you want to know how to have a long term relationship, you need to learn to be truthful with each other.

When you’re truthful, it’ll help your partner understand you better and know you better as a person.

A little white lie is acceptable especially when the truth would hurt your partner. But if it’s something that can affect your relationship, be truthful even if the truth stings.

^ IA with those, especially #4.

Cleopatra2: i used to think that relationships are made to last longer when especially, sex is involved, though i don't believe that. I have watched my friends in thier several relationships, even with the sex but am still yet to find out what exactly it takes to keep a relationship long?! What do you think please?

you are trying to put the carriage before the horses, and thinking the way you do, you can only but fail.
what you should first seek in a r/ship is fulfillment and satisfaction, meaning finding a mate that ticks all your boxes......and from that day forth deal (maturely) with any issues as they come along. the way you deal with these issues is what will make the difference between a short or long r/ship, and anyone that tells you that they have a 110% "failproof" recipe for long r/ships (without knowing both individuals fully) is a charlatan!

life is about finding the right person for you, not the right person for you tomorrow, but the right person for you TODAY, and then build on that.......one day at a time. no wonder so many are failing when they are focusing solely on the prize.

as for believing that a LONG r/ship automatically means a GOOD r/ship, i can only say: LOL!