Marriage Between Partners or Their Personalities
Two partners tying a marital knot cannot possibly
fathom the complexity of the relationship that lies
ahead. Once married, the success or failure of marriage is
determined by a myriad of factors. Each partner is a unique
agglomeration of stable personal dispositions that influence
marital relationships. During courtship, partners typically
idealize their relationship and maintain a positive illusion
about their significant other, and behaviors and traits that
may later threaten the developing relationship are mostly
ignored. In the early marriage years, however, the process
of marital disillusionment begins and the personal
dispositions that were dismissed earlier become increasingly
conspicuous and hard to ignore. Eventually, partners
come to grips with reality and experience a decline in love.
Acknowledging that personal dispositions are ingrained in
the genetics and are reinforced by the early experiences and
attachment bonds, the role of personal dispositions on marital outcomes need more research attention.
For Further Reading
Abbasi, I. S. (2017). Personality and marital relationships: Developing a satisfactory relationship with an imperfect partner. Contemporary Family Therapy: An International Journal, 39(3), 184–194.