You may think you're helping your relationship by letting things that irk you slide, but according to new research, being a softy only makes matters worse. A recent study published in the
Journal of Family Psychology found that when we forgive our partner, chances are, more bad behavior is on its way. In the study, a professor from the University of Tennessee surveyed 135 newlyweds for one week and asked them to keep track of how often their spouse did something negative that day. According to the husbands surveyed, 22 percent of the wives were argumentative, 22 percent were moody, 13 percent were naggy, and 5 percent snapped, yelled or acted sarcastically. The wives surveyed described 26 percent of the husbands as neglectful and 13 percent as critical. But the crazy part? The spouses who were forgiven were more than twice as likely to upset their partner again -- get this --
the very next day. Now, we’re not saying you shouldn’t cut your spouse some slack every so often, but do yourself a favor: Ditch the pushover act and just be firm. Even if it causes a major argument, you’re likely to see an improvement in your relationship…plus, nothing beats makeup sex.
Plus, more from The Nest:
7 Mistakes Every Newlywed Makes The Newlywed Fight Club
Our Most Ridiculous Fights Ever