Relationships 2.0: When Did Marriage Become So Hard?
No one will deny that marriage is hard. In fact, there's evidence it's getting even harder. This week on the show, we revisit a favorite episode from 2018 about the history of marriage and how it has evolved over time. We'll talk with historian Stephanie Coontz and psychologist Eli Finkel, and explore ways we can improve our love lives — including by asking less of our partners.
Duration
1h 0m
Broadcast on
21 Nov 2022
Audio Format
other
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No one will deny that marriage is hard. In fact, there's evidence it's getting even harder. This week on the show, we revisit a favorite episode from 2018 about the history of marriage and how it has evolved over time. We'll talk with historian Stephanie Coontz and psychologist Eli Finkel, and explore ways we can improve our love lives — including by asking less of our partners.
For more of our Relationships 2.0 series, be sure to check out last week's episode, "An Antidote to Loneliness." And if you've found this series to be useful, please consider supporting our work! You can do so at support.hiddenbrain.org.
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This is Hidden Brain, I'm Shankar Vedanta. (classical music) No matter how many weddings you've been to, it's hard to shake that contagious feeling of optimism. Couples pledge to love one another in sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer. Family members dabbed tears from their eyes, agreeing that these two people are meant to be together forever. But so many marriages become unhappy. Some dissolve, some end in divorce, and even the successful ones are not without challenges. No one would deny that long-term relationships are hard, and in fact, these evidence, they're getting harder. Over the past few weeks, our relationships 2.0 series has explored new ways to think about how we engage with the people in our lives. We've talked about how to build new bonds with others, how to strengthen the bonds we already have. We've looked at how we can respond to conflict and how we can work through disagreements more effectively. This week on Hidden Brain, we turn to a favorite episode about marriage. We'll take a closer look at the history of this institution and why our expectations for marriage have changed so much in recent years. Lots of people argue that having these high expectations is problematic and it's harming the institution of marriage and, frankly, among the people who used to argue that, is myself. And we'll discuss ways to improve our love lives, sometimes by asking more of our relationships and sometimes by asking less. Support for Hidden Brain comes from Liberty Mutual Insurance. Making smart decisions includes considering how to protect your car and home and how much you're paying to ensure them. Liberty Mutual customizes your car and home insurance to save you money, because when you've worked hard for something, choosing insurance should be easy. Start your quote at libertymutual.com. Support for Hidden Brain comes from Air France. Air France business cabin offers comfort throughout the journey with priority check-in, boarding and lounge access. On-board, enjoy menus from renowned French chefs, wines and champagne selected by Assamelier and free high-speed Wi-Fi. When it's time to rest,
Transcription truncated.
No one will deny that marriage is hard. In fact, there's evidence it's getting even harder. This week on the show, we revisit a favorite episode from 2018 about the history of marriage and how it has evolved over time. We'll talk with historian Stephanie Coontz and psychologist Eli Finkel, and explore ways we can improve our love lives — including by asking less of our partners.
