by Ambreen R

Created on: January 17, 2009   Last Updated: December 03, 2011

Marriage is an institution in itself as referred by some experts. People so often confuse marriage with just like any other relationship and this is a completely wrong approach. Marriage requires constant work and regular maintenance without which it can very quickly turn into sour unhealthy circumstances.

Most people enter into marriage as a convenience with a non serious attitude but it requires an in-depth analysis of what is yet to come. From my personal experience I have developed some clear cut concepts what makes a marriage not so great so I am going to reverse engineer this process.

Communication

One of the most important factors that can shake the very foundation of marriage is lack of communication. A good marriage revolves around maintaining open and honest communication at all times. Any issue or conflict that arises must be resolved at earliest convenience while some unresolved ones may be shelved temporarily but work must be in progress. Otherwise leaving out gaps in communication can cause unnecessary conflicts and resentment later on.

Trust

Trust is another integral part of a workable marriage and it is interrelated with successful communication to a greater extent. Trust between couples is surely an ideal way to strengthen the bond and bring out the best in marriage by keeping shadows of doubt at distance. Lack of trust can create holes causing insecure, negative feelings and contemplating with trust issues can save a lot of headache in future. Trust being related to successful communication will create two way traffics and then only a person can truly share inner feelings and bring solutions to table.

Compromise

Next important underlying factor that makes a marriage great is compromise. Once a certain level of trust and lines of communication has been established then compromise will definitely enhance the quality of life, with equal distribution of marital load. In order to accomplish the compromise one should let their ego slide and comparisons should never be made. As marriage is not a one shoe that fits all, each marriage is an isolated situation and should be dealt accordingly.

Respect

Mutual respect in a marriage is a key factor in contributing to its success. In the absence of respect the above mentioned factors will nullify their effect. There should be set boundaries in maintaining peace and harmony within a relationship. Although arguments are bound to happen but open disrespect, any form of abusive behavior whether it be mental or physical should not be acceptable at any cost. Lack of respect can eventually disintegrates a marriage and loses its sanctity.

Love

Now you may have noticed that I haven't mention love which is normally an ignition point that leads us to the institution of marriage. Well from my experience love is a temporarily, fleeting state if it is not accompanied by any of the above mentioned factors. True love usually comes at the end. Once the marriage has taken its full course of action, lines of communication are opened at both ends, trust has substantially build up with varying degrees of compromises, a highly respectful marriage has come into being with a sprinkle of love.

So these were some of the fundamental factors that are responsible for making a marriage great and once these are in place a couple can enjoy a nurturing and healthy relationship in years to come.

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