A Happy Marriage Is All About Me! I Knew It!!

Just Kidding!!! Or Maybe not? Seems that the happiest marriages are based on self expansion. How much your partner helps you grown and experience things does matter! See? We aren't nagging for date nights for nothing! Here's a little article and quiz to get you started! 

Ps Don't be daunted if you fall way down on the scale, use this to inspire you to do new things!!! 

 

 

The Sustainable-Marriage Quiz

By TARA PARKER-POPE

What does it take to sustain a marriage?
As I report in the latest Week in Review section, researchers are studying how people sustain their relationships by using them to accumulate knowledge and new experiences, a process they call “self-expansion.” Studies show that the more self-expansion a person experiences through their partner, the more satisfied and committed they are to the relationship.
To learn more about the science of sustainable relationships, read the full article, “The Happy Marriage Is the ‘Me’ Marriage.”
And to learn more about your own relationship, take the quiz below to measure how much it expands your knowledge and makes you feel good about yourself. The quiz was developed by Gary W. Lewandowski Jr., associate psychology professor at Monmouth University in New Jersey.
Answer each question according to the way you feel, using the following scale. Answers range from (1) not very much to (7) very much. Then, add up your scores and check the scale below to see how your own relationship ranks.

	Not Very Much…Very Much
How much does being with your partner result in your having new experiences?	1 2 3 4 5 6 7
When you are with your partner, do you feel a greater awareness of things because of him or her?	1 2 3 4 5 6 7
How much does your partner increase your ability to accomplish new things?	1 2 3 4 5 6 7
How much does your partner help to expand your sense of the kind of person you are?	1 2 3 4 5 6 7
How much do you see your partner as a way to expand your own capabilities?	1 2 3 4 5 6 7
How much do your partner’s strengths as a person (skills, abilities, etc.) compensate for some of your own weaknesses as a person?	1 2 3 4 5 6 7
How much do you feel that you have a larger perspective on things because of your partner?	1 2 3 4 5 6 7
How much has being with your partner resulted in your learning new things?	1 2 3 4 5 6 7
How much has knowing your partner made you a better person?	1 2 3 4 5 6 7
How much does your partner increase your knowledge?	1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Scores
60 and above — Highly Expansive. You are gaining a lot of new experiences and reaching new goals as a result of your relationship. Chances are you have a happier, more sustainable relationship as a result.
45 to 60 — Moderately Exciting. Your relationship has led to moderate improvements in your life and some new experiences. But there’s definitely room for improvement.
Below 45 — Low Connection. Your relationship is not creating opportunities that help expand your knowledge and make you feel better about yourself. Make an effort to share new experiences with your partner to improve your relationship.