The prevailing belief concerning relationships is that they are fragile and complex, and often trying and tough to maintain. This common perception works like a self-fulfilling prophecy- that is, the more we believe relationships are hard, the more likely we are to give up prematurely. And if we believe that relationships are delicate and easily shattered, we're more likely to treat them as disposable. No one wants to get hurt, and so if we think something is easily breakable, we'll probably invest less emotion and energy in it; we wouldn't cherish it as much as something we believe is enduring.