Love and Marriage – The Search for Perfection

Studies show that more people are giving up on their marriages, as they search for the ‘perfect’ relationship.

The days of couples staying together for 20 or more years and struggling through bad times seems to have dissolved, as more people walk out on marriages when they become restless. In fact, the average marriage now ends after just 11 years. A study conducted by the consultancy firm Grant Thornton, revealed that boredom is now the main reason for couples getting divorced.

The Economic and Social Research Council carried out a study on family life, over a period of five years’ which revealed that people will only stay with their partner if there is something in it for them. The art of romance seems to be dead and buried now too, as a study conducted by One Poll revealed that after around two and a half years couples tend to give up on romance in the relationship.

Marital Therapist Dr Janet Reibstein spoke to couples whose relationships had withstood the test of time for her book entitled ‘The Best Kept Secret.’ Through these interviews, she found that the ‘perfect match’ was an idealistic view, and that, in reality, there is no such thing. Relationships are about time and effort and taking the bad with the good. Studies have shown that if couples manage to keep together during all of the hard times, it can have many benefits to their health and well-being.

The director of One Plus One, a relationship research organisation, suggested that many people have expectations of grandeur in a relationship, believing that their partner should offer them complete satisfaction at all times. In reality, this is not always possible and problems in any relationship are inevitable. Working through these problems is what makes the relationship strong.

View the original Telegraph article.