<p>The root cause is almost certainly procreation. Our relationship tendencies developed along with our biology. Humans tend to have one child at a time, and human children mature very slowly. This suggests that during most of human history, it would be advantageous for a female to keep a male with her, helping to provide food and protection for herself and her children. The strategy for the male is either to play along, or to breed so quickly as to outweigh the devastating effect of a long maturation without sufficient protection. Others species, many of which breed in greater numbers, have different mating habits.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-01-26T19:08:21.400Z
Along these lines I've heard some biologists argue that in some primates, the father sticks around because other males will kill the offspring of a potential mate and then mate with the female.  I guess this falls under "protection" as stated above. But it is more specific in terms of the nature of that protection. It's not about helping mom so much as about protecting his own pride. This also relates to monogamy. If the male went off with another woman, a different male would come in and not just sleep with his female but kill his young.
kindredChords
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-10T10:43:54.867Z
@Jhon Thank You for you answer. Thant is interesting way of looking at it.
Sonam
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-01T22:43:08.200Z
2015-12-01T22:43:08.200Z
John Yetter
<p>We  all get into relationship. We at times move out of them when the needs (emotional,physical,mental,monetary,etc.) are not met. 
We keep searching for that one life partner. 
Why do we(human beings) need that one "Life partner"?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-01-26T22:18:35.523Z
Your question reminds me of a funny story from Plato's, The Symposium. In it, Plato asks Aristophanes to tell him about soulmates. Aristophanes says that humans originally had two faces, four arms, and four legs. Then one day Zeus split these humans in half as punishment. Each human then had one face, two arms, and two legs, losing the other half of themselves and creating a feeling of emptiness in each human. Since then, humans have been on the search for their "soulmate" or as you state, "life partner". Maybe, as Greek mythology suggests, we are just looking for our other half!
Mihir Pathak
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-01-27T16:46:41.773Z
@Izhaki CogSci is about more than only cognition. It covers sociology, psychology, psychiatry and many more affiliated field.
Robin Kramer-ten Have
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-11-24T16:31:35.223Z
Just to clarify, you're asking why human beings have a tendency to search life-long companionship? Also, what level of explanation are you looking for? Do you want a cultural, psychological or neurological explanation?
Seanny123
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-11-25T05:21:50.777Z
@Seanny123 Yes. Why Human Beings have tendency to search life-long companionship and urge to settle for one. It will be good if that can be supported by cultural and psychological explanation. Thanks.
Sonam
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-11-26T01:15:22.313Z
It's a good question alright, and there's a lot out there to answer it. But I fail to see what this has to do with cognition; this is much more about psychology.
Izhaki
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-11-26T21:45:11.760Z
Socialism is in our DNA.Some get through life with a dog as a companion and fell just fine.It really has nothing to do with finding a life parter,it is the longing to have mental,verbal,physical interation with being that has a conscious.
user5434678
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-10T10:46:51.213Z
@TheVoid Yet most of the humans (us) look out for life partner even though we may have pets to keep a company. Life Partner holds a need of bit more than just a "companion" in humans.
Sonam
<social-psychology><perception><emotion>
Why do we need Life Partner?
Sonam
# Why do we need Life Partner?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-11-24)

We all get into relationship. We at times move out of them when the needs (emotional,physical,mental,monetary,etc.) are not met.
We keep searching for that one life partner.
Why do we(human beings) need that one "Life partner"?

**Tags:** social-psychology, perception, emotion

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: Just to clarify, you're asking why human beings have a tendency to search life-long companionship? Also, what level of explanation are you looking for? Do you want a cultural, psychological or neurological explanation?  
> **username_0**: @username_3 Yes. Why Human Beings have tendency to search life-long companionship and urge to settle for one. It will be good if that can be supported by cultural and psychological explanation. Thanks.  
> **username_4**: It's a good question alright, and there's a lot out there to answer it. But I fail to see what this has to do with cognition; this is much more about psychology.  
> **username_5**: Socialism is in our DNA.Some get through life with a dog as a companion and fell just fine.It really has nothing to do with finding a life parter,it is the longing to have mental,verbal,physical interation with being that has a conscious.  
> **username_0**: @TheVoid Yet most of the humans (us) look out for life partner even though we may have pets to keep a company. Life Partner holds a need of bit more than just a "companion" in humans.  
> **username_1**: Your question reminds me of a funny story from Plato's, The Symposium. In it, Plato asks Aristophanes to tell him about soulmates. Aristophanes says that humans originally had two faces, four arms, and four legs. Then one day Zeus split these humans in half as punishment. Each human then had one face, two arms, and two legs, losing the other half of themselves and creating a feeling of emptiness in each human. Since then, humans have been on the search for their "soulmate" or as you state, "life partner". Maybe, as Greek mythology suggests, we are just looking for our other half!  
> **username_2**: @username_4 CogSci is about more than only cognition. It covers sociology, psychology, psychiatry and many more affiliated field.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_6 on 2015-12-01. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

The root cause is almost certainly procreation. Our relationship tendencies developed along with our biology. Humans tend to have one child at a time, and human children mature very slowly. This suggests that during most of human history, it would be advantageous for a female to keep a male with her, helping to provide food and protection for herself and her children. The strategy for the male is either to play along, or to breed so quickly as to outweigh the devastating effect of a long maturation without sufficient protection. Others species, many of which breed in greater numbers, have different mating habits.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: @Jhon Thank You for you answer. Thant is interesting way of looking at it.  
> **username_7**: Along these lines I've heard some biologists argue that in some primates, the father sticks around because other males will kill the offspring of a potential mate and then mate with the female.  I guess this falls under "protection" as stated above. But it is more specific in terms of the nature of that protection. It's not about helping mom so much as about protecting his own pride. This also relates to monogamy. If the male went off with another woman, a different male would come in and not just sleep with his female but kill his young.  

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