I recently came upon this article written by John Gottman, a leading relationship researcher and expert and found myself quite fascinated by the researcher he points to. Is a man’s emotional intelligence really the greatest predictor of marital success? Is this one of the reasons so many marriages fail? Can emotional intelligence be learnt?
While I don’t typically believe in gender stereotypes (they usually do more damage than good) I found this study interesting. As with everything, we need to remember that no one person (nor a single gender) is responsible for the success or demise of a relationship. I do believe, however, that how emotionally aware and engaged one is can make a significant difference in how a couple interacts during times of stress. It is impossible to not be in a relationship and have conflict, but how you deal with that conflict really does impact not only the health of the relationship but also the health of both individuals.
Take a read here and let me know what you think of this article in the comment section below.