A: Not necessarily. It’s not the external structure of life that changes in Human Adulthood, but the psychological function relationships once served.
Before maturity, relationships are mostly organized around identity maintenance. People unconsciously look to partners, friends, or family to stabilize the sense of “who I am.” For the immature self, relationships provide things like validation, security, belonging, role confirmation, emotional regulation, and narrative reinforcement.
When the false self loosens, those dynamics begin to change. Relationships tend to become simpler because they’re no longer carrying the weight of identity.