Source: MSN.com

SELFISHNESS

“One of the most overlooked reasons why marriages fail is how people define compromise. While compromise is considered to be the cornerstone of any relationship, most people assume that means that some of the time, each partner gets what they want. Actually, the true definition of compromise in the context of marriage is that neither party gets what they really want. Marriage is tough. You have to be constantly ready to give something up, even after it seems like you’ve already given up everything. Without accepting this definition of compromise, people move towards a break-up.” —Ashwini Nadkarni, M.D., director of Digital Integrated Care in the department of psychiatry at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and an instructor at Harvard Medical School.

YOU’RE FORGETTING YOUR MANNERS

“Even when things get tense, frustrating, or busy, I cannot stress enough how important it is to be polite and courteous toward your spouse. This is the person you are sharing your home, finances, and life with, yet people continue to treat their co-workers and friends with more decency than they do the person they marry. A simple ‘please’ or ‘thank you’ really can go a long way, and is one of the easiest things to do.” —Cydney Bulger, a family law attorney in Florida.

Read more