Want a Successful Marriage?
Men who want their marriages to succeed should just do what their wives
suggest, psychologists said Friday. Psychologist John Gottman said
advice to engage in "active listening" and other interactive ways to
resolve differences may be on the wrong track. Gottman's team followed
130 newlyweds for six years, tracking how they handled disagreement.
Many tried the "active listening" model, which calls for each person to
re-phrase what the other has said. They found the people who stayed
together almost never used such listening techniques.
The marriages that seemed to work had one thing in common -- the husband
was willing to be influenced by his wife. One of the participants,
Gomer Ludlow, said, "To keep her happy and for more chances for me to
get laid, I just let her think she's getting her way and then do it my
way."