What are your three non-negotiables (in a relationship)?

[lusciouskiwi]

I used to say that the three "C's" were important to me (in no particular order):

culinary stimulation
cerebral stimulation
clitoral stimulation

These days I would say:

1. You enjoy using your intellect - I'm not such a snob that I would only be with someone who has a university education but I will be bored to tears if you're not interested in talking/reading about anything. So I should add to #1, enjoy talking about everything and anything.

2. Enjoy food - different food, experimenting at home, trying new restaurants. 5 star is lovely but not something I can usually afford. Street food is good. TGIF and Outback Steakhouse, etc are fun every so often but I'm just as happy to go down to the local Vietnamese restaurant or fish and chips on the beach.

3. Sex. I'm never going to be in a relationship again where my partner isn't sexual with me. Of course we go through periods - so damn tired and stressed from work, sick, etc where sexual drive takes a bit of a hammering, but still, if you aren't prepared to be sexual with me AND not prepared to work out why, then I hope I have the balls to end the relationship.

4. Why stop at 3? You need to be interested in me. I don't mean hanging on to every word I say or being joined at my hip. Like others have said, we each had our own lives previously right? And if we didn't perhaps we shouldn't start this journey. If you can't describe who I am then it means you don't really know me or understand me, so why would you be with me?

And as staunch as I may sound,

5. Be gentle with me. And patient. Oh yeah, also gentle and patient with Madam Butterfly.

For the hell of it, I'm going to add #6

6. We are each other's Number #1 Fan Club.