Psychologist John Gottman says he can predict with 94% certainty whether a marriage will be successful.
Armed with over 20 years of research, Dr. Gottman observes a number of factors that predict the health and well-being of a marriage. He found:
- Happy couples show affection toward one another.
- They practice healthy conflict resolution.
- They are respectful of each other’s needs and desires.
- They show interest in what their spouse says – even when they share offhand comments about a sunset or a small moment from their day.
Not surprisingly, unhappy couples act just the opposite.
- They criticize.
- They ignore random comments or good news.
- They don’t share in the other’s happiness.
Simply put, couples flourish or perish depending on whether their relationship is fueled by kindness or contempt.
Fortunately, kindness isn’t a marriage resource only a select few can afford. It’s available to anyone. Kindness communicates love. It demonstrates to your spouse that you treasure them deeply and moves your marriage in a positive direction.
