Is Love Enough to Make a Marriage Work?
Many songs and Hollywood movies portray couples who overcome any obstacles in life because they love one another. However, in reality, love alone cannot make two people happily married for life. There are lots of other things that must go into a relationship to make it work over the long term.
Compatibility is very important in making a marriage work. Obviously, your spouse doesn’t need to be your exact clone, however, there are some key areas that you should be compatible on. When two people have very different values and ideas about life, it can be impossible for both of them to get their needs met. Although opposites do sometimes attract initially, compatibility is important for long-term success. There are some issues that people can’t compromise on, such as whether or not to have children. If you want children and your partner doesn’t, someone isn’t going to get their needs met.
In successful marriages, both partners have the skills to meet their own needs while also helping to meet their spouse’s needs. The couple is able to grow together, but each person is also able to pursue some individual interests and opportunities. Both partners should feel comfortable spending time apart, as well as together.
Both partners need to have skills to communicate well with one another and manage their emotions. Knowing how to manage anger, improve your mood, and manage your reactions to your spouse are important. Conflict resolution skills are needed as well. This helps the couple know how to respond to crisis, challenges, and disagreements. The ability to negotiate and compromise are necessary to deal with everyday issues as well as more serious problems.
Having the same level of commitment to one another is important as well. If both partners are equally committed to the marriage and one another, it is much more likely that the marriage will be successful. Often, arguments are caused by someone feeling as though the other partner isn’t putting in enough effort or devoting enough time to the relationship.
The majority of divorces are not caused by people not being compatible, but by couples not knowing how to resolve their problems.
Most marital problems can be solved. Despite how much people start out loving each other, not working on resolving problems as they arise can make the marriage dissolve.
