Unkind

It's probably safe to suppose that few people get married expecting divorce. But about half of all first marriages fail, then more of second or third marriages. There's been some research to discover how it happens that love turns into rejection.

According to this report. rejection starts way before the divorce. Maybe both partners actually feel "love" at the beginning, but that wasn't enough. There's a behavior that can lead to unhappiness and breaking up. It's un-kindness.

"Contempt, they have found, is the number one factor that tears couples apart. People who are focused on criticizing their partners miss a whopping 50 percent of positive things their partners are doing and they see negativity when it’s not there."

photo: therelationalmarketer.com

How long can you stay excited about a spouse who will only focus on their own concerns, who must always be right, who's indifferent to your happy or sad news? Not very long. The relationship is shredding.

(Valentine's series #2)