Our world is filled with beauty, and, yet, it is also rife with adversity—and we cannot have one without the other. As they must be taken together, consider your view of the world as it is today. Is it a beautiful place, or an ugly one? A place worth protecting, exploring and living in? Or do you see it as dangerous, sad or perhaps even dull? Both sides of this dichotomy depend largely on what you choose to focus on: beauty or adversity.
Romantic relationships are comparable in a similar sense: they can be wondrous adventures, but they aren’t without conflict and hardship. However, our worldviews in particular hold much greater power. So much so, in fact, that they can influence our views of our relationships—without us even realizing it. Here’s how, according to recent research from the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.
Our ‘Primal World Beliefs’
Over 8.2 billion people in the world, as of today, call Earth their home. It is the context of everything that we have ever known and loved—our families, our friendships, our travels and our very existences. Simultaneously, Earth is also the backdrop for many terrible things: war, poverty, hatred and violence.
In all, it’s a highly multifaceted place. It would be impossible to describe every good and bad thing that has ever happened in our big world, let alone to predict all that is to come. Thus, it’s decidedly difficult to sum up our feelings about this planet as a whole in our own few words. In light of this, Dr. Jeremy Clifton—in a 2019 study published in Psychological Assessment—found a way to encapsulate the many feelings and beliefs we may have about the world.
Specifically, Clifton conceptualized “primal world beliefs” (or “primals”)—that is, our environmental beliefs regarding the world’s overall character. Considering thousands of years worth of philosophers’, psychologists’ and scientists’ descriptions of the world, he produced three large categories of primals. Overall, they can be summarized as good versus bad:
- Safe versus Dangerous. Those with a “safe” worldview perceive the world as a place of pleasure, renewal, progress and cooperation. They see it as stable, just and relatively harmless—a space where good things can thrive. On the other hand, a “dangerous” worldview paints the world as bleak and unforgiving. It’s seen as a declining, fragile and competitive place, rife with injustice, threats and misery.
- Enticing versus Dull. An “enticing” worldview is one of curiosity and optimism. People with this perspective see the world as abundant, beautiful, meaningful and full of opportunities for exploration and improvement. It’s a place worth engaging with—rich with humor and wonder. Conversely, a “dull” worldview sees the world as barren, uninspiring and hard to change. It’s perceived as boring, ugly and devoid of meaningful or enjoyable experiences.
- Alive versus Mechanistic. People who view the world as “alive” believe in an intentional, interactive relationship between humanity and the environment. They feel a sense of purpose and connection, as though they are meant to be part of the world in a meaningful way. By contrast, a “mechanistic” worldview suggests a universe governed by chance. Those with this perspective feel the world operates independently of them, without intent or interaction, with little belonging or purpose.
According to Clifton’s surveys, 20% of U.S. citizens see the world as a bad place—namely, as dangerous, dull and mechanistic. On the other hand, 70% of the population sees the world as a good place—safe, enticing and alive. Finally, 10% see the world as just mediocre—somewhere in between each of the three categories.
‘Primal World Beliefs’ And Relationship Satisfaction
Since the development of primals, ample research has explored how our most basic views of the world influence our lives—from our political views and well-being, right down to our health. However, its influence on our relationships was largely underexplored. Thus, Edward Lemay, a professor from the University of Maryland, sought to fill this gap in knowledge.
“After Jeremy Clifton and colleagues published their research on primal world beliefs, I became excited about the idea of applying this research to close relationships and testing whether these beliefs impact the quality of romantic relationships,” explained Lemay in an interview with PsyPost.
Consequently, Lemay studied over 230 couples over the span of a year. The diverse couples—some married, some engaged and some just dating—reported on their relationships, their and their partner’ responsiveness, as well as their views of the world in daily diaries. From there, Lemay assessed the influence that primals may have on couples’ overall relationship satisfaction.
Overarchingly, the results were clear: couples with good worldviews had much higher overall relationship quality. Specifically, couples who perceived the world as a good, enticing or opportune place had greater satisfaction within their relationships. Additionally, they were also more likely to endorse “approach goals” in their relationship—that is, they treat their relationship in a way that focuses on desirable outcomes, as opposed to simply just avoiding negative outcomes.
As Lemay explains, “A key takeaway is that positive world beliefs (specifically, seeing the world as generally good and seeing the world as enticing) promote mutually caring and satisfying romantic relationships.”
He continued to conclude, “These beliefs have this effect because they shape the goals people pursue in their relationships. When people see the world as good and enticing, they adopt ‘approach goals,’ which are goals to obtain positive outcomes in the relationship, such as having fun with one’s partner, having meaningful experiences with one’s partner, and improving the bonding and intimacy in the relationship.”
How You See The World Is How You See Your Relationship
Considering these findings, we can surmise a simple truth: the way in which you see the world is likely how you see your relationship. Of course, we cannot ignore how much pain the world has brought us. However, we also cannot ignore how much beauty there is for us to bear witness to. Naturally, the same goes for love.
Ultimately, our worldview is an active choice—not just a passive observation of the world. Every day, we have the opportunity to focus on the suffering and destruction around us, or instead, on the beauty, hope and potential for change. This holds true for our relationships. We can dwell on arguments, disappointments or heartbreaks, or we can choose to cherish the love and trust that have brought us together.
This isn’t to say we should ignore pain or gloss over the challenges in our lives and relationships. Rather, we should acknowledge these difficulties without letting them structure our perspectives. When we choose to believe in the good and the enticing—in the world and in the people we love—we allow ourselves to believe in growth, love and abundance.
Just as Lemay’s research shows, approaching life and relationships with a focus on positive outcomes can fundamentally transform the way we engage with both. It shifts our energy from merely avoiding pain to actively seeking joy and meaning.
So, the next time you’re confronted with a moment of conflict or despair—in your life, or in your relationship—ask yourself: what will you focus on? The problem at hand, or the possibilities for healing and growth? The cracks in your foundation, or the beauty of the structure you’ve built together? The world, and your relationships, will always be both beautiful and imperfect. But by choosing to embrace the good, you can create a life and love worth celebrating.
Is your relationship, like the world, a good thing worth fighting for? Take this science-backed test, and discover your true perspective: Relationship Satisfaction Scale
