Marriages end for a lot of different reasons: Substance abuse, infidelity, and financial stress are just a few common examples.
But, in many cases, experts note that marriages actually end because of the attitudes that the married individuals have toward each other. The way you treat each other on a daily basis plays a huge role in how strong your relationship is, and certain attitudes can slowly tear a marriage apart.
Below are four of the main attitudes and actions that experts note are destructive to marriages:
- Defensiveness: You think that everything is an attack and you lash out to try to protect yourself. It’s a natural instinct, but it leads to countless arguments and misunderstandings.
- Contempt: You actually start to resent your partner. You roll your eyes when they talk to you. You complain to your friends. You start to think about what life would be like on your own.
- Stonewalling: Your spouse wants to have conversations about some of the problems in the marriage, but you shut them down. You refuse to even open up a dialogue and have a conversation. Your spouse starts to think there is nothing left to do.
- Criticism: You are openly critical about every decision your spouse makes. You start with little jabs and insults. After a while, you’re even critical in front of friends and family members. It takes a toll on both of you and drives a wedge into the middle of your relationship.
Have you noticed these things happening in your relationship? Do you think that you’re drawing nearer to a divorce? If you are, you need to know exactly what legal steps to take in order to protect your future.
