Capacity in Relationships & The Weight of Judgement from Others

The idea that individuals have varying capacities challenges the traditional notion that love, effort, or commitment alone can sustain a relationship. Love is often romanticized as an infinite resource, but in reality, our ability to show up for others is limited by our own emotional reserves, mental bandwidth, and life circumstances. When relationships fail, it’s not always because of a lack of care or effort but rather because the involved parties may not have the capacity to meet each other’s needs at that moment.

Judgment from others is unavoidable, but its power lies in how much we allow it to dictate our choices. The healthiest relationships are built on authenticity rather than external validation. The challenge is learning to discern which opinions hold value and which are simply reflections of others’ biases, insecurities, or limited perspectives.