The verb cede , which derives from the Latin word cedĕre , has several uses. The first meaning mentioned in the dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ) refers to procuring, supplying or delivering something to someone .
For example: “The Russian tycoon announced that he is going to give up part of the land for the construction of a public school” , “The governor is not willing to give up power” , “The Spanish team could give up the Swedish striker since he has no place in your template.”
Giving in can also refer to the act of surrendering, losing or being subjugated : “I am not going to give in no matter how much they threaten me: I am willing to go to the ultimate consequences,” “Criticism forced the government to give in,” “The authorities are not willing to give in.” willing to give in to the demands of terrorists.”
In interpersonal relationships, giving in can have a negative connotation if it involves repressing one's own feelings, but also a positive one if it serves to adapt to the other person's needs without leaving aside one's own. Given the great complexity of sentimental ties, it is very difficult to clearly distinguish harmful decisions from constructive ones.
When we approach a person to share our life with them, it is normal that there are several well-defined stages and that the first is characterized by an infatuation that hides the other's defects under a veil of enchantment; If we do not know how to maturely accept the transition to the second stage, in which differences begin to become visible and the first frictions appear, then there is little chance that the relationship will last.
Giving in to the obstacles that prevent us from being happy is positive, since it can mean getting rid of attitudes or ways of thinking that threaten our well-being ; In a relationship, these may be traits of our personality that were useful to us in the past, in our parents' home, but that are not compatible with our partner, which is why we should archive them and replace them with others.
If, on the other hand, we give in to certain pressures with the sole objective of not losing the other person even though our decision hurts us and does not allow us to breathe, then the verb can become our personal condemnation. Adapting to others should always have a limit: there is nothing wrong with conforming, just as all other species of living beings do to organize themselves in society, but we should never crush that which makes us unique.
In the field of sport , giving in is associated with losing positions or time compared to the gain that an opponent achieves: “The Australian runner has just lost forty-eight seconds with respect to the leader in the last lap,” “With this defeat, the Italian team gave up four positions in the table” , “The Serbian tennis player won the tournament without giving up a set” .
When an element becomes loose or breaks due to the action of an intense force , it can be said that it gave way: “Be careful! The bridge is about to give way due to the weight” , “The large flow of water caused the dam to give way and a flood occurred” .
The concept, finally, can refer to the decrease in the intensity of fever, cold , wind or another factor: “The gusts would begin to subside starting tomorrow,” “The low temperatures continue without subsiding.”
Precisely, in this last meaning you can see certain nuances of this term, such as the action of "giving up" or "losing strength ", something that also happens when we adapt to a situation that requires a change from us to achieve harmony.