The next time your husband gives you a hard time for complaining or fighting, tell him: "I'm saving my life, jerk. Gawd, you are so selfish!" A study of married couples found that women who stay silent during marital tiffs are more likely to die from heart disease and other badness than women who let it all hang out. Interestingly, men had the same life expectancy whether or not they spoke up. Yep, science is telling us that husbands should keep their yaps shut while the ladies rail. I knew it.
While they say marriage is good for the health and life expectancy of folks, it turns out that a crappy marriage might kill you quicker, and not just in the slow, painful death of your soul. A few studies have found that bad marriages may increase the risks of heart attacks and can make healing take longer. One researcher even says the pronouns used--"we" versus "I"--can indicate the course of a partner's heart disease, especially for women. "For women with heart disease, repeatedly using the words 'I' or 'me,' he said, 'is like the kiss of death.'" Right now we are thinking we'd better start being nicer to our husband--oh, but not in a keep-it-all-in kinda way.
Here's another one: "When asked what they fought over, men said sex, and women cited money, children and chores. Men were more likely than women to report their marriages were happy and that their spouses loved them." Who is right? Well, the short answer I give my partner is "I'm always right. Always." I believe that is the recipe for marital happiness. Now if I could just get the hubs on board...
