Relation vs Relationship
Man is a social animal they say, and he cannot live in isolation. Man has devised ways to live and interact with others in a society. Every individual forms many relationships with others while at school, neighborhood or workplace. These relationships may range from casual acquaintance to deep friendship and love. There is another word called relation that confuses some as they consider it to be the same as relationship. Though there are many similarities between the two concepts and quite a bit of overlapping, there are differences also that cannot be ignored. Let us take a closer look.
Relation
A relation is an association between people and groups, even countries. This is why we talk of Indo-US relations, relations between companies and organizations, and finally relations between individuals. The manner in which a person behaves or interacts with another person depends upon how good the relations between the two are.
When you reach the place of someone for the first time, you start to guess the relations between the members until you are introduced to them. At a friends place, you assume the relation between a small boy and girl as that of siblings.
We talk of diplomatic relations between the two countries and how these relations go over the brink because of some sore issue. When a boy has physical relationship with a girl it is said the two have sexual relations. In science, we talk of relation between two factors in a phenomenon or a scientific experiment. In daily life, we describe our flesh and blood as our relations such as dad, mom, siblings etc.
Relationship
Relationship between two things and persons and even groups and countries is the linkages or connections between them describing the way they are associated. We say that the relationship between our parents is strained or very good as the case may be, and ask for the relationship between two girls at a playground when they look similar. Doctors and scientists look for relationships between different causative factors in a disease, and a couple is said to be in a relationship when they are serious about each other. When there is close friendship between a boy and a girl with romantic feelings being involved, they are deemed to be in a relationship. Maintaining relationships over the course of time is a hard thing to do, and those who are successful in this task are also those who live a long and happy life.
Relationship could be as thin or casual as acquaintance to as deep as a blood relation or the relationship between a husband and a wife. As an individual, we tend to have lots of relationships in our lives. While some are good relationships, others are not so good or can be termed as bad relationships. In short, relationship is simply the way we relate or associate with others in our lives.
What is the difference between Relation and Relationship?
• Both relations and relationships describe the association or the linkage between people, organizations, and even countries.
• A relation is an association or connection between two. Relationship between two is the association or connection between them describing the way they are related.
• The terms are almost same in meaning and the differences lie in the manner they are used in different contexts.
• Thus, we have diplomatic relations and relations between countries while we talk about the special relationship between any two countries.
• Relationship between a boy and girl signifies deep friendship between the two
• You talk about a relationship between a mother and a daughter, but you say that relations between the two are strained or very cordial.