The Average Marriage Is Not as Happy as It Used to Be

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Marital satisfaction has become a bigger and bigger determinant of personal happiness. The average marriage is not as happy as it was, but the good news is that you can customize your marriage to be happier than any in history. "You don't have to listen to me exactly," says author Dan O'Brien. Compromises are necessary; Magic is in the moments.

Eric Barker is not a people person. “Getting me to write a relationship book,” he says, “is like asking Godzilla to improve the infrastructure in your city.” But he did it anyway. Guided by leading social psychologists, Eric went on a journey to understand what he was getting wrong about relationships — and what he could do to turn things around. The result is “Plays Well With Others,” a guide to friendship, intimacy, loneliness, and belonging that our curator Daniel Pink says will “revitalize your life.”

THIS AND THAT:

Check out Eric’s blog, “Barking Up the Wrong Tree”

Try out Arthur Aron’s intimacy building questions

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