Successful Relationships Reading Corner

In this week’s blog, we write about the myth that differences cause problems in a relationship. Here are some articles that also discuss this topic.

How the Differences in Your Relationship Can Be Gifts “It’s in our nature as humans to gravitate towards those who have interests similar to our own. And in many ways, this serves us well. On the other hand, it doesn’t leave much room for experiencing all that life has to offer…. By opening ourselves up to another way of living and being, we can make more educated decisions about what we want our own lives to look like. These varied life experiences allow us to express ourselves more fully and be more authentically present in the world.”

How To Understand Personality Differences… For Happier Relationships
“You are so disorganized.
No, I’m not. I’m flexible. You’re just being inflexible.
Which is it? Disorganized or flexible?
I’ve heard it both ways.
Here’s the thing. We’re always looking at the world through the lens of our personality style. And since people have this self-affirming bias, there is a tendency for them — a healthy one really — to value characteristics that they perceive in themselves. If I’m organized, I tend to view it as a valuable thing.”

Differences, incompatibilities and marriage success “What’s important is not so much the degree or type of difference. It’s how couples manage their areas of difference and incompatibility, and whether their relationship style is appropriate for the degree and type of differences and similarities that they have. It’s especially important that they take advantage of their areas of similarity to maintain a positive emotional tone. Couples must avoid becoming stuck in trying to convert their partner to adopt their viewpoint.”

Tell your friends!