--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: So what's the secret to staying…" description: "\"“So what's the secret to staying together?\" I asked her. \"Be nice?\" she offered. I laughed, but that may be it, the way a secret to losing weight is to..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fa/ada-calhoun-28511_be-nice_so-what-s-the-secret-to-staying-together_221822.jpg" --- # So what's the secret to staying together?" I asked her… ![“So what's the secret to staying together?" I asked her. "Be nice?" she offered. I laughed, but that may be it, the way a secret to losing weight is to eat less. Be nice. Don't leave. That's all.” quote by Ada Calhoun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fa/ada-calhoun-28511_be-nice_so-what-s-the-secret-to-staying-together_221822.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fa/ada-calhoun-28511_be-nice_so-what-s-the-secret-to-staying-together_221822.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fa/ada-calhoun-28511_be-nice_so-what-s-the-secret-to-staying-together_221822.jpg) > ““So what's the secret to staying together?" I asked her. "Be nice?" she offered. I laughed, but that may be it, the way a secret to losing weight is to eat less. Be nice. Don't leave. That's all.”” [Ada Calhoun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ada-calhoun/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Staying together may be as simple as being kind and present, similar to weight loss being about eating less. **In simple terms:** Kindness and presence keep relationships strong. Key Takeaway Be kind, stay,. Themes relationships kindness simplicity Mood empathetic conversational Type advice narrative When to use this quote - marriage - friendship - family dynamics Key Concepts psychology human connection Questions to Reflect On - How does kindness impact conflict resolution? - What other habits support lasting bonds? A Different Perspective Kindness alone may not solve deeper incompatibilities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Kindness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kindness/) [Losing weight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/losing-weight/) [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) [Staying together](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/staying-together/) ## Related quotes > [With all my workouts, I have a hard time keeping weight on. My body wants to keep losing weight so I have to eat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-browne/with-all-my-workouts-i-have-a-hard-time-keeping-weight-on-my-body/) [Travis Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-browne/) > [I don't believe in this fairy tale of staying together for ever. Ten years with somebody is enough. In ten years, you can give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-carrey/i-don-t-believe-in-this-fairy-tale-of-staying-together-for-ever-ten/) [Jim Carrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-carrey/) > [When I look at my parents I'm like, 'This is easy. Staying together for 35 years? How hard is that?' They're like, 'Very hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-krasinski/when-i-look-at-my-parents-i-m-like-this-is-easy-staying-together-for/) [John Krasinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-krasinski/) > [The key to staying together is making sure you guys like each other and need each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-rock/the-key-to-staying-together-is-making-sure-you-guys-like-each-other/) [Chris Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rock/) > [The important thing is staying together if you want to do something special.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yannick-noah/the-important-thing-is-staying-together-if-you-want-to-do-something/) [Yannick Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yannick-noah/) > [Staying together is a challenge. We all have to accept qualities in other people that aren't always exactly what we want or need.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/staying-together-is-a-challenge-we-all-have-to-accept-qualities-in/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [I would like to believe that most people don't get married anticipating divorce. When I reached that crossroad, I felt like such a failure.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regina-king/i-would-like-to-believe-that-most-people-don-t-get-married/) [Regina King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-king/) > [You know, I feel like people in this country who feel really strongly about a man and a woman being the only -- the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-jessica-parker/you-know-i-feel-like-people-in-this-country-who-feel-really-strongly/) [Sarah Jessica Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-jessica-parker/) > [“All the couples therapy and communication seminars in the world won't save you if you aren't prepared to close your eyes and hug the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ada-calhoun/all-the-couples-therapy-and-communication-seminars-in-the-world-won-t/) [Ada Calhoun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ada-calhoun/) > [I'm going to eat nice food. I'm going to try to eat a little bit healthier because sometimes my knees do hurt. So I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-hammond/i-m-going-to-eat-nice-food-i-m-going-to-try-to-eat-a-little-bit/) [Alison Hammond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-hammond/) > [It's fantastic to strive towards a nice life where you eat nice organic food and your children go to a nice school and you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-morton/it-s-fantastic-to-strive-towards-a-nice-life-where-you-eat-nice/) [Samantha Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-morton/) > [I like to just stay at home with my family, I eat something nice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennie/i-like-to-just-stay-at-home-with-my-family-i-eat-something-nice/) [Jennie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennie/) > [The important thing, once you have enough to eat and a nice house, is what you can do for others, what you can contribute…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-knuth/the-important-thing-once-you-have-enough-to-eat-and-a-nice-house-is/) [Donald Knuth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-knuth/) > [Of course we live in a world where we have to make money to eat so that's always nice to be able to sing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jhene-aiko/of-course-we-live-in-a-world-where-we-have-to-make-money-to-eat-so/) [Jhene Aiko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jhene-aiko/) > [Don't eat those nice green dollars your wife gives you for breakfast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-levertov/don-t-eat-those-nice-green-dollars-your-wife-gives-you-for-breakfast/) [Denise Levertov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-levertov/) ## More by Ada Calhoun > [“Forsaking all others means going deep with one person -- exhaustingly deep.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ada-calhoun/forsaking-all-others-means-going-deep-with-one-person-exhaustingly/) [Ada Calhoun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ada-calhoun/) > [“The romantic fairy tales we grew up with -- where marriage is the happy ending rather than the opening scene -- are not useful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ada-calhoun/the-romantic-fairy-tales-we-grew-up-with-where-marriage-is-the-happy/) [Ada Calhoun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ada-calhoun/) > [“The boring parts don't last forever. In retrospect, they aren't even boring.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ada-calhoun/the-boring-parts-don-t-last-forever-in-retrospect-they-aren-t-even/) [Ada Calhoun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ada-calhoun/) > [“By staying married, we give something to ourselves and to others: hope. Hope that in steadfastly loving someone, we ourselves, for all our faults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ada-calhoun/by-staying-married-we-give-something-to-ourselves-and-to-others-hope/) [Ada Calhoun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ada-calhoun/) > [“There are a lot of really broken people. Unfortunately, especially for women, your sense of self and your viability is so under assault from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ada-calhoun/there-are-a-lot-of-really-broken-people-unfortunately-especially-for/) [Ada Calhoun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ada-calhoun/) > [“To love somebody is not just a strong feeling -- it is a decision, it is a judgment, it is a promise," writes psychologist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ada-calhoun/to-love-somebody-is-not-just-a-strong-feeling-it-is-a-decision-it-is-2/) [Ada Calhoun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ada-calhoun/) > [“...even good marriages sometimes involve flinging a remote control at the wall.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ada-calhoun/even-good-marriages-sometimes-involve-flinging-a-remote-control-at/) [Ada Calhoun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ada-calhoun/) > [“As married people, we dwell on a spectrum between happy and unhappy, in love and out of love, and we move back and forth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ada-calhoun/as-married-people-we-dwell-on-a-spectrum-between-happy-and-unhappy-in/) [Ada Calhoun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ada-calhoun/) > [“People who don't marry miss both the pelting hardships of marriage and its warm rewards.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ada-calhoun/people-who-don-t-marry-miss-both-the-pelting-hardships-of-marriage/) [Ada Calhoun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ada-calhoun/) > [“Wherever you go, there you are. You would just have different problems. Are the problems you have now so bad that any other problems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ada-calhoun/wherever-you-go-there-you-are-you-would-just-have-different-problems/) [Ada Calhoun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ada-calhoun/) > [“Failure is part of being human, and it is definitely part of being married.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ada-calhoun/failure-is-part-of-being-human-and-it-is-definitely-part-of-being/) [Ada Calhoun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ada-calhoun/) > [“I want to say that at various points in your marriage, may it last forever, you will look at this person and feel only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ada-calhoun/i-want-to-say-that-at-various-points-in-your-marriage-may-it-last/) [Ada Calhoun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ada-calhoun/) > [“The word "slut" has been invoked in the public discourse as an ugly slur. But Langella's book celebrates sluttiness as a worthy -- even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ada-calhoun/the-word-slut-has-been-invoked-in-the-public-discourse-as-an-ugly/) [Ada Calhoun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ada-calhoun/) > [“...there is so much beauty in the trying, and in the failing, and in the trying again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ada-calhoun/there-is-so-much-beauty-in-the-trying-and-in-the-failing-and-in-the/) [Ada Calhoun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ada-calhoun/) > [“All the couples therapy and communication seminars in the world won't save you if you aren't prepared to close your eyes and hug the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ada-calhoun/all-the-couples-therapy-and-communication-seminars-in-the-world-won-t/) [Ada Calhoun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ada-calhoun/) [Explore all 19 Ada Calhoun quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ada-calhoun/) ## More Be nice quotes > [I don't think they need to be nice to reporters, but the White House seems to imagine that releasing information is like a tap…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-packer/i-don-t-think-they-need-to-be-nice-to-reporters-but-the-white-house/) [George Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-packer/) > [One of the things that I miss about Canada is that even the strangers, you have an immediate rapport, there's just an understanding that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evangeline-lilly/one-of-the-things-that-i-miss-about-canada-is-that-even-the-strangers/) [Evangeline Lilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evangeline-lilly/) > [People have said to me, 'It must be nice to prove so many people wrong,' but I've never really cared about proving anything to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-bryan/people-have-said-to-me-it-must-be-nice-to-prove-so-many-people-wrong/) [Daniel Bryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-bryan/) > [I seem to find different material every four to six months and I frequently forget it which is a shame because it would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-kottke/i-seem-to-find-different-material-every-four-to-six-months-and-i/) [Leo Kottke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-kottke/) > [Obama can't change his cool disposition, though it would be nice if he lost the vaguely grudging air he gives off that problems of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-brown/obama-can-t-change-his-cool-disposition-though-it-would-be-nice-if-he/) [Tina Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-brown/) > [I know if I'm nervous or excited to do something before I'm doing it that there's gonna be nice energy there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myha-la/i-know-if-i-m-nervous-or-excited-to-do-something-before-i-m-doing-it/) [Myha'la](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myha-la/) > [I do have to take care of myself, not only because I'm in the movies, just for mental health reasons. I exercise for me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-bening/i-do-have-to-take-care-of-myself-not-only-because-i-m-in-the-movies/) [Annette Bening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-bening/) > [Sometimes I feel it would be nice to have a bit more privacy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoe-sugg/sometimes-i-feel-it-would-be-nice-to-have-a-bit-more-privacy/) [Zoe Sugg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoe-sugg/) > [I really miss having a routine because now I've been on the road constantly for several months. I like routines, so it would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greta-thunburg/i-really-miss-having-a-routine-because-now-i-ve-been-on-the-road/) [Greta Thunburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-thunburg/) > [Grand Slam losses are hard. I treat myself after losses though, I usually go to McDonald's and I have a hamburger and you know,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/venus-williams/grand-slam-losses-are-hard-i-treat-myself-after-losses-though-i/) [Venus Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/venus-williams/) > [The injunction to be nice is used to deflect criticism and stifle the legitimate anger of dissent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-injunction-to-be-nice-is-used-to-deflect-criticism-and-stifle-the/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [You have to create characters - certainly in series TV - who people engage with. They don't have to be nice; you don't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hirst/you-have-to-create-characters-certainly-in-series-tv-who-people/) [Michael Hirst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hirst/) > [I've won the British title and although it would be nice to win it outright, I want to push on to the next level…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rocky-fielding/i-ve-won-the-british-title-and-although-it-would-be-nice-to-win-it/) [Rocky Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rocky-fielding/) > [My best parenting advice would be not to take the job too seriously. Teach your kids to be nice, and everything else falls into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-falcone/my-best-parenting-advice-would-be-not-to-take-the-job-too-seriously/) [Ben Falcone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-falcone/) > [It is a good thing to be nice but to get to a certain level you have to have that bite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ward-prowse/it-is-a-good-thing-to-be-nice-but-to-get-to-a-certain-level-you-have/) [James Ward-Prowse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ward-prowse/) Browse all 274 Be nice quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“So what's the secret to staying together?\" I asked her. \"Be nice?\" she offered. I laughed, but that may be it, the way a secret to losing weight is to eat less. Be nice. Don't leave. 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