The last thing you want to think about when you’re engaged is your marriage going south. Unfortunately, statistics around divorce are frightening, with about half of all couples splitting up.
That’s a scary reality. And one that I know is faux pax to even discuss while you’re happily in love and planning the most special event to celebrate your love. But, as they say, knowledge is power, and understanding what the four most toxic relationship killers are can help you circumvent them in your marriage.
These relationship killers are known as the four horsemen by Dr. John Gottman of the Gottman Institute. He’s one of the most renowned relationship experts in the world for his work on marital stability and divorce prediction. He has studied couples and conducted breakthrough research for over 40 years, and says the relationship killers I’m pointing out today predict divorce 90% of the time.
Toxic Relationship Behavior #1: Criticism
Criticism is the expression of disapproval of someone based on their perceived faults or mistakes. In Why Marriages Succeed or Fail, Dr. Gottman defines criticism as a global attack on personality or character.
