--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It always takes two. For relationships to…" description: "\"It always takes two. For relationships to work, for them to break apart, for them to be fixed.\" — Emily Giffin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a0/emily-giffin-938_break_it-always-takes-two-for-relationships-to_3089284.png" --- # It always takes two. For relationships to work, for them… ![“It always takes two. For relationships to work, for them to break apart, for them to be fixed.” quote by Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a0/emily-giffin-938_break_it-always-takes-two-for-relationships-to_3089284.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a0/emily-giffin-938_break_it-always-takes-two-for-relationships-to_3089284.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a0/emily-giffin-938_break_it-always-takes-two-for-relationships-to_3089284.png) > “It always takes two. For relationships to work, for them to break apart, for them to be fixed.” [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Relationships require mutual effort; both parties must contribute to build, sustain, and repair them. **In simple terms:** Both sides must work together. Key Takeaway Invest equally in partnership. Themes relationships cooperation conflict resolution Mood reflective empathetic Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - marriage counseling - team projects - friendship repair - family dynamics Key Concepts mutual responsibility interdependence Questions to Reflect On - How do you share responsibility? - What happens when effort is unbalanced? A Different Perspective One side cannot fix a relationship alone. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Relationship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relationship/) [Relationships](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relationships/) ## Related quotes > [“Even when you think you´ve finally got things running great, sometimes they fall apart anyway. And they can´t always be fixed. At least not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-cassidy/even-when-you-think-you-ve-finally-got-things-running-great-sometimes/) [Kay Cassidy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-cassidy/) > [I know what it takes to move cities forward. It's not about rhetoric and great speaking, but it takes relationships.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aja-brown/i-know-what-it-takes-to-move-cities-forward-it-s-not-about-rhetoric/) [Aja Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aja-brown/) > [“As our relationships in marriages, families, and friendship teach us, it takes relationships to provide the friction that wears down our rough edges and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terryl-and-fiona-givens/as-our-relationships-in-marriages-families-and-friendship-teach-us-it/) Terryl and Fiona Givens > [This is how I break apart when I finally hit the ground.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/red/this-is-how-i-break-apart-when-i-finally-hit-the-ground/) [Red](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/red/) > [“And then I realized, as I do right now, that in the end I’m going to break you apart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-bromberg/and-then-i-realized-as-i-do-right-now-that-in-the-end-i-m-going-to/) [K. Bromberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-bromberg/) > [Even though you break me apart Im still smiling(:](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kattie/even-though-you-break-me-apart-im-still-smiling/) Kattie > [“Everything I tried to put back together. Everything I tried to build back up. All of it begins to break apart. Just like that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-myers/everything-i-tried-to-put-back-together-everything-i-tried-to-build/) [Jason Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-myers/) > [“He’s speaking in the tone of voice that everyone uses when they’re about to break you apart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-olivier/he-s-speaking-in-the-tone-of-voice-that-everyone-uses-when-they-re/) Lauren Olivier > [If this government is like the last one, then Iraq will break apart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saleh-al-mutlaq/if-this-government-is-like-the-last-one-then-iraq-will-break-apart/) [Saleh al-Mutlaq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saleh-al-mutlaq/) > [You can let me down, you can break me apart, you can tear me down, and you absolutely can hurt me inside whether you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reny/you-can-let-me-down-you-can-break-me-apart-you-can-tear-me-down-and/) [Reny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reny/) > [When I think about you I never thought that you could break me apart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boys-like-girls/when-i-think-about-you-i-never-thought-that-you-could-break-me-apart/) [Boys Like Girls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boys-like-girls/) > [“Gods, to fall for someone so hard surely you were bound to break apart. Unravel at the seams because you are undone by how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penelope-fletcher/gods-to-fall-for-someone-so-hard-surely-you-were-bound-to-break-apart/) [Penelope Fletcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-fletcher/) > [Marriage is about supporting one another in whatever you do and always being on his/her side! Don't let something or someone break you down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-tiwari/marriage-is-about-supporting-one-another-in-whatever-you-do-and/) [Abhishek Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-tiwari/) > [“Have you ever felt that your heart contained so much that it must surely break apart”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/have-you-ever-felt-that-your-heart-contained-so-much-that-it-must/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“I don’t want a man who will look after me—I can do that for myself. I want a man that can break me apart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/logan-patricks/i-don-t-want-a-man-who-will-look-after-me-i-can-do-that-for-myself-i/) [Logan Patricks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/logan-patricks/) ## More by Emily Giffin > [I try to have something in common with my protagonists, especially when I'm writing in the first person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/i-try-to-have-something-in-common-with-my-protagonists-especially/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) > [I think exercise is critical to my writing and an essential way to recharge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/i-think-exercise-is-critical-to-my-writing-and-an-essential-way-to/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) > [“Grab his penis like this, and I guarantee, it’s a done deal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/grab-his-penis-like-this-and-i-guarantee-it-s-a-done-deal/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) > [“Well, anyway… it’s over,” I say, realizing that those two words lump me right in with a hoard of naive women who say it’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/well-anyway-it-s-over-i-say-realizing-that-those-two-words-lump-me/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) > [There are two kinds of sorry. There is the sorry imbued with regret. And a pure sorry. The kind that is merely asking for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/there-are-two-kinds-of-sorry-there-is-the-sorry-imbued-with-regret/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) > [Throw in the intensity of emotions that come with that bittersweet summer sandwiched between high school graduation and the rest of your life...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/throw-in-the-intensity-of-emotions-that-come-with-that-bittersweet/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) > [“You can never be too sure when it comes to things that matter most”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/you-can-never-be-too-sure-when-it-comes-to-things-that-matter-most/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) > [“It occurs to me that she is not unique--that all women compare lives. We are aware of whose husband works more, who helps more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/it-occurs-to-me-that-she-is-not-unique-that-all-women-compare-lives/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) > [“I desperately want to feel that way again. To be in a relationship that I’m not trying to script or water down. It’s about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/i-desperately-want-to-feel-that-way-again-to-be-in-a-relationship/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) > [I always find something in common with my protagonist, particularly when I write in the first person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/i-always-find-something-in-common-with-my-protagonist-particularly/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) > [There is no grief like heartbreak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/there-is-no-grief-like-heartbreak/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) > [I find my voice and manage to say those three one-syllable words back to him. Words I haven't uttered in a very, very long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/i-find-my-voice-and-manage-to-say-those-three-one-syllable-words-back/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) > [i wish i could freeze this moment, somehow delay my final decision, and just hang here in the balance between two places, two worlds,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/i-wish-i-could-freeze-this-moment-somehow-delay-my-final-decision-and/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) > [I try to write about real women, real people - in other words flawed characters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/i-try-to-write-about-real-women-real-people-in-other-words-flawed/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) > [“never had a good gut feeling. It wasn’t so much that I didn’t have faith in my team, but that I maintained the truest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/never-had-a-good-gut-feeling-it-wasn-t-so-much-that-i-didn-t-have/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) [Explore all 324 Emily Giffin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) ## More Break quotes > [I made, like, five movies while I was in college. I think they just weren't memorable movies. I've taken breaks as the years have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodie-foster/i-made-like-five-movies-while-i-was-in-college-i-think-they-just/) [Jodie Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodie-foster/) > [Things are going well in Germany because the economy is booming and as an export-driven nation, we are profiting from the fact that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-schulz/things-are-going-well-in-germany-because-the-economy-is-booming-and/) [Martin Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-schulz/) > [There were songs that we cut out after we chose the name, because 'Praise Break' turned out to be an underlying concept that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-caesar/there-were-songs-that-we-cut-out-after-we-chose-the-name-because/) [Daniel Caesar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-caesar/) > [“He didn't break my heart. No one can break your heart except you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/he-didn-t-break-my-heart-no-one-can-break-your-heart-except-you/) [Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/) > [“She couldn't break the orbit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-schwab/she-couldn-t-break-the-orbit/) [Victoria Schwab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-schwab/) > [Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding. Even as the stone of the fruit must break, that its heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/your-pain-is-the-breaking-of-the-shell-that-encloses-your/) [Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/) > [Must I go bound while you go free Must I love a manwho doesn't love me Must I be born with so little art…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/must-i-go-bound-while-you-go-free-must-i-love-a-manwho-doesn-t-love/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [I hadn't worked for a year when I had my Prison Break audition and it was the easiest audition I've ever had. I got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wentworth-miller/i-hadn-t-worked-for-a-year-when-i-had-my-prison-break-audition-and-it/) [Wentworth Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wentworth-miller/) > [If you strike upon a thought that baffles you, break off from that entanglement and try another, so shall your wits be fresh to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristophanes/if-you-strike-upon-a-thought-that-baffles-you-break-off-from-that/) [Aristophanes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristophanes/) > [“A hole ain’t nothing either, but you can still break your neck in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-donati/a-hole-ain-t-nothing-either-but-you-can-still-break-your-neck-in-it/) [Sara Donati](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-donati/) > [“I break things, a lot of things, but I don’t want one of them to be you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-briggs/i-break-things-a-lot-of-things-but-i-don-t-want-one-of-them-to-be-you/) [Patricia Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-briggs/) > [Motor racing's less of a sport these days than a commercial break doing 150 mph.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-dunne/motor-racing-s-less-of-a-sport-these-days-than-a-commercial-break/) Peter Dunne > [Much like teaching art to young art students age 10 to 15 or so on, you have to break it down into bite-sized pieces,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kehinde-wiley/much-like-teaching-art-to-young-art-students-age-10-to-15-or-so-on/) [Kehinde Wiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kehinde-wiley/) > [The purpose is to be in gratitude forever. Live with applied consciousness, prosperity will break through the walls, flood you with it. You do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harbhajan-singh-yogi/the-purpose-is-to-be-in-gratitude-forever-live-with-applied/) [Harbhajan Singh Yogi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harbhajan-singh-yogi/) > [Never break another man's rice bowl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akio-morita/never-break-another-man-s-rice-bowl/) [Akio Morita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akio-morita/) Browse all 8,188 Break quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It always takes two. For relationships to work, for them to break apart, for them to be fixed.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Emily Giffin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/it-always-takes-two-for-relationships-to-work-for-them-to-break-apart/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Break" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/it-always-takes-two-for-relationships-to-work-for-them-to-break-apart/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a0/emily-giffin-938_break_it-always-takes-two-for-relationships-to_3089284.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a0/emily-giffin-938_break_it-always-takes-two-for-relationships-to_3089284.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a0/emily-giffin-938_break_it-always-takes-two-for-relationships-to_3089284.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It always takes two. For relationships to work, for them to break apart, for them to be fixed.” — Emily Giffin", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Emily Giffin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It always takes two. For relationships...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/it-always-takes-two-for-relationships-to-work-for-them-to-break-apart/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/it-always-takes-two-for-relationships-to-work-for-them-to-break-apart/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```