Jim and Pam are one of the most loved and admired television couples ever. Many people loved watching their story play out on The Office and rooted for them to be together. They are generally seen by fans as soul mates, but other people have pointed out that their relationship might not have been as perfect as it seems. While there were many things about the relationship that showed they were good together, there were also some things about them that were red flags.
Here are five reasons that Jim and Pam’s relationship wouldn’t last and five why it was meant to be forever.
WON’T LAST: PAM DOESN’T HAVE ENOUGH OF HER OWN LIFE OUTSIDE OF JIM
Throughout the series, Pam struggles to find her own identity and feel secure in herself. While she does have moments where she learns about her own interests, and she definitely grows as time progresses, she still struggles. In many ways, her life seems to be centered mostly around Jim and their relationship. They have a lot of the same friends, and their lives are very intertwined. It seems like some separation would be healthier.
WILL: THEIR RELATIONSHIP IS BASED ON A DEEP FRIENDSHIP
During the first three seasons of the show, Jim and Pam weren’t a couple. They were friends first, and they spent a lot of time together as coworkers getting to know each other. While it might have taken them a while to get the timing right on their relationship, they cared about each other the entire time. This foundation of friendship is a great way to build a relationship, and the fact that they know each other so well means they can get through rough patches.
WON’T LAST: JIM MAKES HUGE LIFE DECISIONS WITHOUT CONSULTING PAM
One thing that many people have pointed out as problematic in their relationship is how often Jim marks big life decisions without Pam. While there are times where this is meant to be romantic, like when he buys his parents house, even these instances are a bit murky.
While Pam might have been happy in this instance, it set a precedent that wasn’t great. So, when Jim made decisions about Athlead without her, it caused a major strain on the relationship.
WILL: THEY’VE LOVED EACH OTHER FOR A LONG TIME
While love isn’t always enough to get a relationship to last, it’s definitely an important part. This is a good thing for Jim and Pam because their relationship is definitely full of a lot of love. They do clearly care about each other and love each other a lot, and they have for many years. While this might not be the only important thing, it’s definitely needed.
WON’T LAST: JIM CAN BE VERY SELFISH
While Jim does care about Pam and does a lot of things for her, he also has a selfish streak. This is most apparent with the entire Athlead storyline in the final season. He wants to start a new career and move to a bigger city, and while there’s nothing wrong with this, he isn’t single. He has a wife and two kids. Making these decisions about his family's future isn’t just his to make. Pam definitely should have been a part of these plans and dreams from the beginning.
WILL: THEY INSPIRE EACH OTHER TO BE BETTER
While there are some things about their relationship that seem to hold them both back, there are many other ways that they inspire each other. Jim helps inspire Pam to pursue her dream of going to art school, and Pam inspires Jim to push harder and do more at work. A relationship where each person is supportive of the others' talents and abilities is very important, and this is a good indication that they will be able to make things work.
WON’T LAST: PAM NEEDS TO SPEAK UP FOR HERSELF MORE
One of the great things about The Office is seeing Pam’s journey throughout the seasons. While she starts out super insecure and unhappy in her relationship with Roy, she becomes more confident in herself. However, there are still many times where she needs to be more self-assured. While she does speak her mind to Jim, she doesn’t always do so right away. This leads to problems in their relationship.
WILL: THEY ARE ABLE TO WORK THROUGH THEIR ISSUES
No relationship is perfect. So, in many ways, The Office showing their relationship struggles makes them seem more real. While almost all relationships have issues and struggles, being able to work through them is the important part. While Jim and Pam go through a really rough patch, they are able to work through it and make compromises so they can make it work. This is an important skill to have in a long-lasting relationship. They eventually move away from Scranton to pursue Jim's career, and they seem to make it work.
WON’T LAST: THEY BOTH NEARLY CHEATED ON ONE ANOTHER
In the final season of the series, the relationship between Jim and Pam is quite rough. There are some moments where it seems like they might not be able to make it work at all.
It seems at points like Pam is considering finding emotional relief in Brain, the boom guy. There is also some weirdness in how Jim acts with Cathy that makes some viewers think he might have had an affair with her.
WILL: THEY BOTH DO THE SMALL THINGS TO SHOW THEIR LOVE
In a long-term relationship, how people treat each other in the day to day is very important. So, the fact that both Jim and Pam do little things often to show they love each other is really important. For example, they work together to pull pranks. They also go out of their way to make heartfelt gifts for each other for holidays, and they make sure to have fun together often.