I think that relationships often rely on both people having a decent level of self-esteem, but I often wondered what is to be done in situations where this is not the case. I mean, I know a lot of people that couldn't handle a relationship with someone more attractive because they would feel inferior. Have you ever experienced this?

I mean, the cause of insecurity in a relationship could be vast. In a gay or lesbian relationship, I find that it's much more common since you're comparing apples and apples, instead of apples and bananas when considering heterosexual couples, but either way, that's not the point. Maybe you feel short compared to your partner, maybe you feel less attractive, less intelligent, less articulate... anything, really.

Is it important for people to be equal on all levels in relationships, or for people to be able to look beyond their insecurities? If so, maybe it's easier said than done.

Didn't have a self-esteem problem last night during the storm Mr. Kovich...
She had no trouble comparing her apple with my banana.
Ahem...back on topic.
I never had a inferiority complex in regards to my mate...nor has she.
We support each other mind,body & soul.
If there is a problem of low self esteem? Maybe is due to economic pressures.
The only solution I have to offer is think positive.

* The most useless activities are the ones that leave the greatest impression on us. *
-Ich_Bin_Butler

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I think it's actually natural to feel inferior to your partner. When you fall in love you think the world of them and put them on a pedestal. Well, I do anyway. I know they're just a human but they're the human that makes me happy. Then again, I'm a sad case.

Besides that though, I always feel ugly compared to my girlfriend. It's always been like that. Personality wise I never feel inferior, really.

I just like that part of a song and it mentions self esteem, ho ho.

"Don't vote, it only encourages them."

I think a relationships cannot work correctly and endlessly if both partners don't have equal "roles". If you have a low self esteem in yourself then you'll be less likely to take decisions since you think the other one is somehow superior as you. And if you are the one in the couple who has the highest self esteem, it can just annoy you.

And yes, I have experienced it. The relationship totally broke my self esteem to zero and I couldn't do anything on my own, I always needed help or I thought I wasn't able to do anything, I though I was useless and everything. (Yea, it did affect me, but right now I'm rebuilding that self esteem, at least)...Yep, it is truly easier said than done

It's really important for both partners to be on equal levels.

i think that is a good observation but i disagree. relationships are constant power battles. however, it is vital to have equal communication and openness with one another. eventually, relationships have a dominant member swinging to one way or the either. also, i think that a relationship where one person has low self-esteem but the other has more than normal can work. as long as the communication process as a whole isn't lacking enough for the two to communicate properly, i see that it can work.

life is what you make it

Of course, communication is one of the must-have in a relationship (next to trust, IMO). But, self esteem does a great job in communication, as you could easily imagine in a equal-self esteem couple, the communication between those two must be something really powerful. You can also easily notice on a "different-level-of" self esteem couple that they are having trouble with communication and makes them conversation less effective.

I think, to be in a relationship, you have to know everything (almost everything, I doubt it can be possible to fully know ourselves) about yourself. Being (Almost) completed, you are hardly taken down with your self esteem, know what you are and can fill the love you have into your lover's heart as he/she'll give his/her love back to you. If not then you'll probably fill your emptiness with your lover's emptiness and your relationship will come to its end.