From the New York Post: If you want to know whether your marriage is heading for Splitsville, don’t check your partner’s phone — check their face.
A one-sided mouth raise — that subtle smirk of superiority — might just be the number one red flag for divorce, according to renowned psychologist Dr. John Gottman, founder of the Gottman Institute and mastermind behind one of the most extensive marriage studies ever conducted.
His research, which was recently dissected on the hit Unplanned Podcast, found that four nasty little habits — criticism, contempt, defensiveness and stonewalling — are deemed the “Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse” when it comes to dooming relationships.
But it’s contempt, experts warn, that is the true kiss of death.
During the recent podcast, body language expert Vanessa Van Edwards told hosts Matt and Abbey Howard, “Dr. John Gottman is a marriage and family counsellor, and he did the largest marriage experiment ever done.” She said he could predict divorce with an astonishing 93.6% accuracy.
“Fear comes in a burst, and then you calm down. Happiness comes, and then you go back to normal. Anger comes, and then you calm down. But not contempt. If you feel scorn or disdain for someone else, and if it is not addressed, it festers and it grows,” Van Edwards explained.
She added that if there is even a whiff of contempt, either from yourself or your partner — it should be tackled head-on immediately.
The full podcast episode is in the video below:
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