What is the most essential component of a RELATIONSHIP?

Trust

For me, it is trust and communication. Without these two components relationships must be very difficult.

As mentioned before it is very hard to pick up the most essential component of a relationship. At least when i made an importance order of the components i can say sharing your feelings about any matter with honestly is on the top of my list.

I would say honesty. Being open creates emotional intimacy between two people, spreading the roots of love. It also is the backbone of trust which you need for a longer healthy relationship. Plus, being honest and open you learn about each other and who they are. Also, you'll know whether you two are truly better matched and how you're feeling about that relationships. That's why I would say it is the essential component.

There can be no trust without HONESTY, so I would say honesty is most important. If the relationship is not going well, there must be HONEST, open, and compassionate communication about why it is not working. Otherwise, if one person or the other is expected to be trusting all the time and that person is lied to and led on, that trust goes away real fast, never to return.

TRUST. Look, you can be the best of friends, have cool, hot, kinky sex (which involves a certain amount of trust), share finances, see eye-to-eye about politics, religion, health issues,painting, whatever. But if you don't completely, totally trust one another than it's all for naught.

Personally, I find that understanding is the most necessary compenent of a relationship since, without it, you cant have a stable bond or be able to connect

Honesty and trust and unconditional love and acceptance. Having good open communication is very necessary too.