The decision to take a pause in a relationship can indicate a deep inner need to re-evaluate one’s own emotions and beliefs, as a person seeks to break free from self-illusions and take responsibility for their feelings and actions.

Embracing Growth Through a Relationship Pause

The decision to take a pause in a relationship can indicate a deep inner need to re-evaluate one’s own emotions and beliefs, as a person seeks to break free from self-illusions and take responsibility for their feelings and actions. This step is often driven by the understanding that previous behavioral patterns no longer contribute to building healthy relationships, necessitating time for self-reflection to consciously redistribute emotional energy and prepare for new stages in the relationship. It reflects a level of maturity where, instead of blaming external circumstances, one acknowledges their own mistakes and is willing to share not only joy but also guilt and suffering, enabling the acceptance of others without categorizing them or imposing stereotypes.

Supporting citation(s):
"Someone has very clearly defined what adulthood is. Adulthood is the loss of certain self-illusions. It is then that a person comes to know themselves. While a young person tends to blame everyone and everything—even the entire world, and in some ways even God—maturity is characterized not merely by the willingness to accept all the blame themselves (which is also a sign of some immaturity, for that has already been accomplished by Christ), but by the ability to share guilt, share suffering, and share joy. Maturity is the phase when a person becomes capable of service." (source: link txt, page: 42)

"Maturity is the phase when a person becomes capable of service. It is no coincidence that in the Orthodox Church an individual is ordained who is already capable of being responsible not only for themselves but also for others, because they no longer exhibit the categorical traits of youth or an uncompromising attitude toward people. Their approach is more realistic, humble, and capable of accepting a person’s weakness, of acceptance and understanding. Maturity is not solely an age-related category. Of course, there are certain purely biological processes in a person’s development." (source: link txt, page: 42)

These statements demonstrate that the decision to temporarily pause a relationship may arise from a quest for deeper self-understanding, a redistribution of emotional resources, and a readiness for more mature, responsible relationships.