Someone Asks People To Share The Worst Marriage Advice They’ve Gotten, And They Deliver (30 Tweets)
Marriage, like most relationships, is all about communication, building trust, being vulnerable, and fighting off hordes of orcs back-to-back on a mountaintop. Or is that just us? But like childcare, politics, and the weather, everybody seems to have an opinion about marriage. What works. What doesn’t. What you should strive to do.
Unfortunately, a lot of that advice is absolutely bogus, as sociologist Samuel Perry from the University of Oklahoma drew attention to on Twitter. The scholar asked social media users to share the very worst marriage advice they’ve ever gotten and kicked things off with an example of his own about how couples should supposedly not go to bed angry.
Check out some of the best tweets below, upvote the ‘advice’ that you think is absolutely ridiculous, and share your own pearls of wisdom about marriage in the comment section below. And remember—happy panda, happy life!
Image credits: socofthesacred
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I previously had a chat about keeping the bonds of marriage strong with Suzann Pileggi Pawelski and her husband James Pawelski, the authors of 'Happy Together: Using the Science of Positive Psychology to Build Love That Lasts.'
"While it’s critical we all social distance, we must make sure not to emotionally distance with our friends and family. Positive psychology research indicates that one of the most important factors in human flourishing is building close relationships with others,” Suzie and James told Bored Panda.
“A wedding is a magical day no doubt, and of course something to celebrate, but what about planning for all the days to come in our marriage which is intended to last a lifetime? Many newlyweds seem to think that ‘happily ever after’ just happens. However, research shows it’s healthy habits that build long-term love," the couple explained that we have to work at relationships; they’re not something that automatically turns out great.
So THIS is how marriage works. No wonder I am getting a divorce.
"It’s interesting that it’s the only domain in our lives where we think that success will just happen without much effort of our own. For example, when it comes to our physical health, it would be foolish to think that merely buying a gym membership and working out once would strengthen our muscles and build flexibility (if only that were the case!).”
I'm so tired of the holy matrimony and sacred crap with marriage. Marriage is a legal issue. You want to involve the church? Good on you! My experience has been that the church has no place in marriage.
The couple said: “We all know that in order to increase our strength and tone our bodies we have to work at it regularly. So, too, when it comes to our relational health. However, popular culture seems to romanticize marriage making people think that once you get married you can merely ride off into the sunset together. That’s obviously not the case. It takes work.”
In some cases i think it's true not always of course! Edit: I'm referring to misogynist cultures that don't respect human rights of course! i just didn't want to be more specific cause i didn't want anyone to be offended! But these cultures in a marriage are always a deal breaker!
The couple sees marriage as an adventure. A challenging one but an adventure nonetheless. "Being open, curious, and having a growth mindset about ourselves, and our partners will help us be able to better navigate together in marriage. Marriage isn’t an end state but rather a beginning. It’s a process and a life-long journey. The more we seek to understand ourselves and our partners, the better equipped we will be to travel together on this beautiful, yet often challenging adventure."
This is good advice. It doesn’t mean your marriage is doomed if you don’t do it, just that it can give things a boost.
Why can't a date night be a night in? My wife and I do regular date nights, one regular one that we do is a "drive-in movie night" where I set up an LCD projector in the garage and we sit in the car and watched a movie - the best part of this one is that we make it a "no cell phones" date.
I think this person misunderstood the advice. Date night doesn't have to be going out, it's just a designated time together where you do something together as a couple. It is important and I think some form of date night is important in every relationship
I totally agree. We were happier staying in to watch a movie or play videogames before we were married. Never missed the bar/restaurant kind of date.
You’re describing date nights though. Nobody said a date meant going out. You made that part up.
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i think date nights can be good weather its binge watching netflix or going out
My husband and I have our special days. Tuesday is his day and Wednesday is my day. On those days, the other puts in extra work to make the other one happy. I do a lot of extra stuff to make my husband happy on Tuesday, he does the same for me on Wednesday (we picked the day that is typically the worst day at work for us). Then we have our day on Saturday, were we go all out for each other at the same time. A regular scheduled time gives us something to look forward to during the week and forces us to focus on each other instead of just watching movies, reading, or playing video games while zoning out.
We have a date night every week, but it often involves Netflix and a bowl of popcorn. It ain't the usual. That's what counts.
We could never afford that. It didn’t occur to us. Now we can, for a while, afford to go out for lunch on weekends. We love each other and don’t really argue about anything, not even after 35 years. Date nights are nice, but not really a necessity.
It's not so much about date nights, "out" or "in". The crux of the idea is to try to make sure you take time for yourselves, away from your busy schedules and the hustle and bustle of life in general. It can be something as simple as a quiet night on the couch, watching Netflix. Or even, like me and my hubby do, lying in bed next to each other, him watching his tablet, me playing on my laptop, both of us enjoying our own things but still touching in some way (back to back, legs intertwined, etc), teasing each other occasionally, and sneaking a kiss sometimes. Just nice, quiet, happy time together. But life IS busy. It doesn't mean you don't love your partner, or that your marriage is going to fail, if you can't always do that.
Sooo, what do you do during a global pandemic and cannot have a date night? Are there divorces over this?
We try this but sometimes life happens; husband's commute gets backed up due to traffic or accidents, something bad happens during the end of the work day and we are in no mood to go out, or we find ourselves exhausted and don't want the other person to think we aren't into the night. It's a good idea to try to plan but sometimes taking the moment when it's good to go out for a drink or have a nice dinner at the table without distractions can be the best.
WTF is marriage classes?? Can't people do anything by themselves anymore? If you need to take a class maybe you shouldn't marry
I'm not saying I personally think they're a good idea or anything but it's their marriage. If they feel they needed classes or help in some way that's their business. I get where you're coming from but maybe one or both of them came from a single parent home or a dysfunctional family or their parents had an abusive relationship. A lot of the time things like this make people feel uneasy or like they are bound to fail because they are afraid to repeat what they experienced. I know this isn't always the scenario but a lot of the time it could be. Just something to think about..
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You don't need date nights when you can have all the fun you want and need by staying home. Besides that: In what restaurant are you allowed to do the touchy-feely stuff when you're dining?
my parents haven't had a date night in 3 years they've been married for 15 years idk
There are various exercises that help strengthen relationships. Suzie and James shared a few of them with Bored Panda.
"They can focus on what they put into the relationship rather than what they get out of it. Truly happy couples realize that happily ever after doesn’t just happen but that it takes effort. These couples focus on action steps they can take to improve their relational happiness rather than relying on their partner to fulfill them,” was their first tip.
“They can share good secrets with each other. They can practice sharing important things about themselves that they have never previously revealed to each other. It might be a childhood memory, a life-changing experience, or a vivid dream. Perhaps it’s a hope for the future or a fantasy. It can be lighthearted or serious. The important thing is that they authentically share with one another something meaningful. It’s imperative that couples are curious, open, and welcoming of the secrets and nonjudgmental. By doing so, couples will feel safe and will strengthen their connection,” relationship experts Suzie and James shared.
Being a decent person will def get you sum more than being a bum.
“They can 'prioritize positivity' rather than just wait around for happiness to happen. In other words, they can schedule activities into their day that evoke joy and fulfillment. In the beginning of a relationship, we naturally experience a high level of positive emotions. As a relationship develops, we can’t expect to naturally experience the same frequency of 'high-arousal' positive emotions like amusement and joy. Rather we must notice what tends to lead to these feelings and then schedule those activities into our daily lives. Think back to the beginning of the relationship and those things that you enjoyed doing together as a couple and make it a priority to schedule them into your day. Also, try out something new that interests both of you. Research shows that seeking out and engaging in fun, exhilarating, and novel activities can increase mutual attraction and promote a healthy passion in intimate relationships.”
What’s more, couples can create a ‘Positive relationship portfolio. “It entails gathering some of the key mementos, pictures, cards, letters, etc. that remind you specifically of your significant other and how special he/she is, and how important your relationship is. Once you put together the positive relationship portfolio you then spend 15 minutes each day for a week savoring and basking in the positive emotions that these items evoke in you. This exercise helps us rekindle those positive emotions that we had during the honeymoon phase, remembering all the great things about our partner and how important he/she is.”
No one is perfect. The secret is to love someone with their imperfections instead of despite their imperfections.
I grew up in Montana. I stayed with my best college friend on their 50,000 acre cattle ranch regularly. Every night my friend's mother would come downstairs just to say goodnight. She looked like she was attending an Oscar awards performance (the hair and makeup). I asked my friend, "Why does your mom put on makeup and do her hair before going to bed?" My friend said, "My mom just wants to look nice for my dad." They were married for 70 years and sold the ranch ranch for $24,000,000. They're happy.
Note: this post originally had 108 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
The couple also shared that it’s a must to continue seeing old and new strengths in our partners as time goes by. “It seems that in the beginning of the relationship we notice one another’s strengths and see our partner’s differences as intriguing as evidenced perhaps by marathon conversations that last long into the evening. However, after some time we often fall into a rut, stop asking questions, and think we know all there is about our partner. What perhaps we once saw as intriguing differences we now see as annoying deficits! That’s dangerous to a relationship. It’s important to continue asking questions and seeing strengths in our partner to help build a stronger bond."
that one about the separate beds meaning that the marriage was over: my aunt and uncle always had separate beds. as a kid, didn't really understand it was about their conservative faith. but, they had quite a few kids. as an older teen i asked her about it one day. her response: every night, ira throws his hat to me. sometimes i throw it back; other times i bring it back.
I actually agree with the "never go to bed angry" one. I will *not* sleep if I go to bed angry. I won't be able to "turn my mind off" and fall asleep, I will lie awake fretting all night long. Then in the morning, I will be overtired and cranky.
I am incapable of putting something in a box and dealing with it later- problems must be resolved NOW, and issues are always larger than life at 2am. But, with practice and age, I am becoming better at managing it. If I cannot sleep, I take something to calm me down (warm milk, rescue remedy), because lack of sleep compiles the issue.
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Ohhh I know a priest (Catholic) that used to say to future brides "He's going to cheat, and you must forgive him because that's your duty as a Christian".
I'm a Christian, and the priest was wrong. "You shall not commit adultery." I'm divorced, but I believe my husband was faithful. We divorced for other reasons.
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My husband and I have been married 39 years. Most issues between couples can be worked out with a little bit of effort on both sides. In the scheme of things very few things are really that big of a deal. As long as there no big issues such as abuse, etc. most problems have a solution. The key is cooperation and commitment. You will never agree on everything but compromise is an important tool.
*Small tip that works for me personally* If you got into an argument with someone, first of all try and talk to the person your angry with BUT, if that doesn't work/you just want to have some alone time to think and stuff, I like to imagine that i am a celebrity in a tell-all interview on a talk show. If it seems like a kinda big problem, then that needs to be addressed. But if it seems like a really stupid and tiny thing to be "confessing" then you might want to apologize. Personally it helps me vent to myself and process what happened.
Lol I love this. Gonna try it out sometime. Thanks!
Load More Replies... What I'm getting from this is you're both equal, what works for some people might not work for others, and COMMUNICATE!
We never go to sleep on an argument BECAUSE we've know two people who were in their 30s and healthy who simply never woke up one day.
That you have to stick it out, no matter what. No matter how hard you have to try. No. Sometimes things just don't work, and people change. Sometimes you try and try for years just to get nowhere. Sometimes you just can't anymore.
Don’t get married if you want a way out of your contract just because you “changed.” Too many people don’t understand the bond of marriage. You need to talk to Bettie Jean down there.
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The best advice I can give is try to love yourself first, and once you do the odds of healthier relationships may increase.
why do people give such awful advice? why do people say and do such stupid things? why are people so stupid?
I am here to give testimony on how this powerful spell caster called Dr Ibrahim helped me to fix my relationship. I was heartbroken when my fiance told me he is no longer interested in marrying me because he was having an affair with the other woman where he works. I cried and sobbed every day,until it got so bad that I reached out to the Internet for help, that was when i read a review about the great work of Dr Ibrahim, then i contacted him for help to get my lover back, he helped me cast a powerful (reconciliation love spell) and to my greatest surprise after 48 hours of doing the love spell my Fiance came back on his knees begging me to forgive him We are now living happily and all thanks goes to Dr Ibrahim for helping me save my relationship you can contact Dr Ibrahim through his Email dribrahimspellcaster@gmail.com Call or Whatsapp +2349038450264 Contact him for the following: 1)If you want your ex back. 2)If you want a child. 3) You want to make your husband/wife to be
Twice divorced here. My advice? Don't get married. It's a pain in the *ss to leave/divorce. Just live together. It's so much easier to leave when the other one f*cks up and you've had enough of their bullish*t. When I left the first time, it took 5 years to divorce. The second time was 1 1/2 years. Such a waste of time and money.
That’s terrible advice lol. Maybe commitment isn’t your thing though. Which is fine. But not good advice for those who do like commitment.
Load More Replies... that one about the separate beds meaning that the marriage was over: my aunt and uncle always had separate beds. as a kid, didn't really understand it was about their conservative faith. but, they had quite a few kids. as an older teen i asked her about it one day. her response: every night, ira throws his hat to me. sometimes i throw it back; other times i bring it back.
I actually agree with the "never go to bed angry" one. I will *not* sleep if I go to bed angry. I won't be able to "turn my mind off" and fall asleep, I will lie awake fretting all night long. Then in the morning, I will be overtired and cranky.
I am incapable of putting something in a box and dealing with it later- problems must be resolved NOW, and issues are always larger than life at 2am. But, with practice and age, I am becoming better at managing it. If I cannot sleep, I take something to calm me down (warm milk, rescue remedy), because lack of sleep compiles the issue.
Load More Replies... Ohhh I know a priest (Catholic) that used to say to future brides "He's going to cheat, and you must forgive him because that's your duty as a Christian".
I'm a Christian, and the priest was wrong. "You shall not commit adultery." I'm divorced, but I believe my husband was faithful. We divorced for other reasons.
Load More Replies... My husband and I have been married 39 years. Most issues between couples can be worked out with a little bit of effort on both sides. In the scheme of things very few things are really that big of a deal. As long as there no big issues such as abuse, etc. most problems have a solution. The key is cooperation and commitment. You will never agree on everything but compromise is an important tool.
*Small tip that works for me personally* If you got into an argument with someone, first of all try and talk to the person your angry with BUT, if that doesn't work/you just want to have some alone time to think and stuff, I like to imagine that i am a celebrity in a tell-all interview on a talk show. If it seems like a kinda big problem, then that needs to be addressed. But if it seems like a really stupid and tiny thing to be "confessing" then you might want to apologize. Personally it helps me vent to myself and process what happened.
Lol I love this. Gonna try it out sometime. Thanks!
Load More Replies... What I'm getting from this is you're both equal, what works for some people might not work for others, and COMMUNICATE!
We never go to sleep on an argument BECAUSE we've know two people who were in their 30s and healthy who simply never woke up one day.
That you have to stick it out, no matter what. No matter how hard you have to try. No. Sometimes things just don't work, and people change. Sometimes you try and try for years just to get nowhere. Sometimes you just can't anymore.
Don’t get married if you want a way out of your contract just because you “changed.” Too many people don’t understand the bond of marriage. You need to talk to Bettie Jean down there.
Load More Replies... The best advice I can give is try to love yourself first, and once you do the odds of healthier relationships may increase.
why do people give such awful advice? why do people say and do such stupid things? why are people so stupid?
I am here to give testimony on how this powerful spell caster called Dr Ibrahim helped me to fix my relationship. I was heartbroken when my fiance told me he is no longer interested in marrying me because he was having an affair with the other woman where he works. I cried and sobbed every day,until it got so bad that I reached out to the Internet for help, that was when i read a review about the great work of Dr Ibrahim, then i contacted him for help to get my lover back, he helped me cast a powerful (reconciliation love spell) and to my greatest surprise after 48 hours of doing the love spell my Fiance came back on his knees begging me to forgive him We are now living happily and all thanks goes to Dr Ibrahim for helping me save my relationship you can contact Dr Ibrahim through his Email dribrahimspellcaster@gmail.com Call or Whatsapp +2349038450264 Contact him for the following: 1)If you want your ex back. 2)If you want a child. 3) You want to make your husband/wife to be
Twice divorced here. My advice? Don't get married. It's a pain in the *ss to leave/divorce. Just live together. It's so much easier to leave when the other one f*cks up and you've had enough of their bullish*t. When I left the first time, it took 5 years to divorce. The second time was 1 1/2 years. Such a waste of time and money.
That’s terrible advice lol. Maybe commitment isn’t your thing though. Which is fine. But not good advice for those who do like commitment.
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