Why Marriages Succeed or Fail
“You want to know why somebody is failing consistently in his marriage. It’s because he’s unwilling to take responsibility for others than himself.” — L. Ron Hubbard
People who do not take responsibility for others have failed marriages as well as failed jobs, failed businesses and failed friendships.
Because they are unwilling to take responsibility for their mates or spouses, they say things like:
1. “I was so stupid to marry you!”
2. “He’s your kid, not mine.”
3. “That’s the dumbest career choice you’ve ever made.”
4. “You’re really getting fat.”
5. “I told you to get vaccinated, remember? Now you’re sick. Get someone else to take care of you.”
6. “If you had checked the car’s oil like I said, it wouldn’t need all these repairs.”
7. “Do you know what’s wrong with our relationship? It’s communication. You won’t talk and you’re a bad listener.”
8. “My husband didn’t show up for work? Not my problem.”
9. “My wife maxed out her credit cards? She can pay them, I won’t.”
10. “I’m sick of hearing about your problems.”
A marriage is miserable when the husband and wife are unwilling to be responsible for each other. They argue, fight, blame, criticize, scream and cry. The marriage ends in divorce.
The Responsible Marriage
“The willingness to take responsibility for somebody other than yourself is at the root of every successful marriage.” — L. Ron Hubbard
When you take responsibility for someone else, you accept their actions as your own. You care for the person, guard the person, help the person and are interested in the person. You accept the person as he or she is.
When you are willing to take responsibility for your mate, you say things like:
1. “We made a good decision to get married. I think we’ll make it better and better.”
2. “He’s our kid and I love him.”
3. “If that’s the career choice you want to make, I’ll support you on it.”
4. “Let’s work together and both lose weight. How about if we both stop eating junk food?”
5. “I’m so sorry you’re sick. I’ll take good care of you.”
6. “Oops! We forgot to watch the car’s oil. I’ll get it fixed tomorrow.”
7. “We need to fix our communication. Is it okay with you if we turn off the TV and just talk and listen to each other like we used to do?”
8. “My husband didn’t show up for work? I’ll find him and one of us will call you right back.”
9. “Well, our credit cards are maxed out, so we should pay more attention and get them paid off.”
10. “What can I do to help you?”
A marriage is joyful when the husband and wife take responsibility for each other. They create a happy home for themselves and their children. They stay in love.