By SARA HENDRICKS

  • Dating someone wealthier than you can be more difficult than you might think.
  • According to a relationship expert, significant income disparity can cause strain in the relationship.
  • The best way to handle potential conflict is through self-reflection, communication, and letting your partner know you value them for more than their money.

Most people know that new relationships are a time of discovery. Because of this, you’ve been probably been prepared for what to do if you find out your new partner isn’t quite right for you. But what if you find out that the person you’re dating is wealthier than you? Like, several tax brackets wealthier than you?

At first, it may seem alluring and exciting – most likely due to the fact that the idea ofhaving a significantly wealthier partner has been mythologized in various forms of media. But in practice, it can be more difficult than you might think.

INSIDER talked with Susan Winter, a relationship expert in NYC, to find out the best way to deal.

Income disparity in a relationship isn’t necessarily a problem, but what money symbolises can be

“Traditionally speaking, money equals power,” Winter told INSIDER. “And the one with the power is the one who controls the relationship.”

According to Winter, this (perhaps unsurprisingly) can cause a strain in relationships involving people who identify as women and people who identify as men, particularly if the woman is the one with more money.

“Centuries of programming have insisted that for a man to ‘be the man,’ he must hold the power,” Winter told INSIDER. “No matter how evolved a modern man may be, his perspective has been tainted by the sociological programming of archaic gender rules. Even the most progressive relationship can find income disparity kicks up issues of independence and self-worth.”

Continue reading https://www.businessinsider.com.au/dating-someone-who-makes-more-money-2018-10