Speak to someone who is in a happy marriage, and it can seem like the easiest thing in the world. Speak to someone on the verge of a divorce, though, and it sounds like the worst mistake that you could ever make. As ever, though, the truth lies somewhere in the middle.
If you want to better understand relationships, here are some interesting facts and details that have emerged across years of study.
Lack of communication is a common reason for divorce
Most assume that really horrible things like infidelity or violence are the cause of divorce. Studies, though, have found that poor communications are a major reason for marriages breaking down. Being unable to properly resolve problems and talk them out is a big reason why so many people end up reaching for the number of divorce attorneys.
Being able to communicate with one another effectively can save a rocky relationship.
Sharing negative traits can prolong a relationship
Do you ever find that the things that your partner pulls you up for are the same things they do themselves? This could benefit your relationship.
Indeed, studies find that those who share ‘negative’ habits are more likely to stick it out. For example, two smokers or two heavy drinkers are more likely to stay together than in a marriage with one smoker and one non-smoker, and so on.
Marriage is no longer as common as it once was
This might not come as a shock due to cultural and economic changes, but marriage is no longer as common as it was at the turn of the millennium. Indeed, fewer people today are getting married. Less people are getting married, and fewer people are getting divorced. Indeed, something in the region of 4 people for every 1,000 got divorced in the year 2000; today, that figure stands at around 2.7 in 1,000.
Repeat marriages are likely to end in divorce
One thing that has changed, though, is the number of people who get married more than once. Indeed, it was found that just shy of two-thirds of second marriages and just shy of three-quarters of third marriages are going to end in divorce. Divorces after the first tend to come around quicker, too. So, in this case, it looks like experience from previous relationships isn’t quite as useful as once thought!