Tactics to keep your relationship strong.
@theodraxis
I don't know... After 44 years in a great marriage, most of that rings shallowly listicle to me.
1. We've never been bored.
(we've moved 41 or 42 times, never had time for boredom)
2. We hardly ever "date." I mean, we eat at a restaurant 8 or 9 times a year, but mostly that's because neither of us feels like cooking. We've bowled on and off over the decades, a few times on leagues. That's about it for "dating."
3. We never go to a movie; never watch romantic comedies.
4. None of that stuff.
My listicle:
1. Communicate
2. Be willing to compromise.
3. Sex isn't something to do only "when you're in the mood." Rather it's what to do to get into the mood.
4. Individual growth (plus communication) equals relationship growth.
5. Laugh.
6. Obstacles can be the difference between a mere trip and an adventure.
@sda Great to hear your marriage is so strong! The fact that you've moved so frequently is, like you said, never giving you time for boredom. So you're actually fitting quite neatly into this research-backed list. Communication is also the point of #4.
The reason why boredom is at #1 is because it is supraordinate to the rest so the novelty of your moves creates the subsequent scenarios.
Also, it's important to note a couple things. Firstly, these are not goals or end-point levels of relationship satisfaction to be attained and then full stop. No matter where your relationship stands, these tried and true, highly customizable steps, improve overall satisfaction above its current level. So it isn't necessarily the case of wanting to move from bad to good but also good to great and so on.
Second, these are aggregate level studies. So inferring absolutes from aggregates to individuals in diverse and complex contexts is not always straightforward.
But regardless, great to hear you're going strong!
