Ø      The desire to have children or to remain childless

Ø      One person comes from wealth, while another is used to living on a shoe-string

Ø      One spouse is a homebody, while the other loves to go out every night

Ø      One person is lazy and sloppy, and the other is a ‘neatnik’

Ø      One person is very talkative and the other is more private

 

And, the list goes on.  You can probably add a few of your own. 

 

This is not to say that a couple cannot resolve any or all of these issues. 

 

It is merely to recognize that there ARE issues to be resolved as married couples learn to live together.

 

It is when a couple fails to compromise that these issues become BIG PROBLEMS!

 

After many years of study, some researchers feel they can predict the overall likelihood of marital failure. 

 

That is, a marriage that will fail because issues are not resolved over time, as opposed to a marriage that is just going through a rough patch.

 

Look at your marriage, and see where your relationship falls in the continuum. 

 

If you and/or your spouse fall into these categories, your marriage is likely to be at more risk and you are probably more dissatisfied than the average married person.