[stuxnet79]

> The key here is "if you want the relationship to last." In many relationships, people lose the desire for the relationship to last. For instance, in his contractor anecdote, he cares more about the outcome of the construction project that he cares about prolonging his relationship with the contractor. Or in the case of a business relationship, business partners want the business to be run in their own way more than the want their relationship to stay strong. Everything comes down to a desire to keep the relationship going.

There is also another aspect to the "desire to keep the relationship going". It is culture. It's unfortunate that he used a business relationship to drive home his point, because western business culture greatly emphasizes short-termism, binary outcomes and litigous behavior all of which are not conducive to long-term relationships.

With personal relationships, the same is true: consistency of behavior, personal autonomy and personal goals are all emphasized over collective concerns. These values all make it difficult to value or sustain a 'long-term' relationship that doesn't involve any direct personal benefit.