--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Why do so many marriages fail? Because…" description: "\"Why do so many marriages fail? Because nobody gets taught how to be married. We're not taught how to pick a mate, or why to pick a mate; we don't know ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d94/phil-mcgraw-3416_being-married_why-do-so-many-marriages-fail-because-no_2012202.jpg" --- # Why do so many marriages fail? Because nobody gets taught… ![“Why do so many marriages fail? Because nobody gets taught how to be married. We're not taught how to pick a mate, or why to pick a mate; we don't know how to manage our emotions once we're in a marriage; we don't know how to resolve marital conflict. Married people have never been taught why they…” quote by Phil McGraw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d94/phil-mcgraw-3416_being-married_why-do-so-many-marriages-fail-because-no_2012202.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d94/phil-mcgraw-3416_being-married_why-do-so-many-marriages-fail-because-no_2012202.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d94/phil-mcgraw-3416_being-married_why-do-so-many-marriages-fail-because-no_2012202.jpg) > “Why do so many marriages fail? Because nobody gets taught how to be married. We're not taught how to pick a mate, or why to pick a mate; we don't know how to manage our emotions once we're in a marriage; we don't know how to resolve marital conflict. Married people have never been taught why they or their spouses feel the way they do and act the way they do. Nobody has ever taught us the fundamentals.” [Phil McGraw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-mcgraw/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote argues that lack of education on marriage fundamentals leads to high failure rates. **In simple terms:** People aren't taught how to marry successfully. Key Takeaway Teach core marital skills early. Themes relationships education marriage communication conflict resolution Mood reflective practical encouraging Type educational relationship‑focused When to use this quote - marriage counseling - relationship workshops - parental guidance - school curricula Key Concepts psychology family studies social learning Questions to Reflect On - What essential skills should be taught before marriage? - How can couples continue learning together? A Different Perspective May ignore cultural and personal differences in relationships. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Being married](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-married/) [Conflict](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conflict/) [Emotion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotion/) [Emotions Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotions-marriage-3598696/) [Failing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failing/) [Feels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feels/) [Fundamentals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fundamentals/) [Know how](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-how/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Manage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manage/) [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) [Marriages Fail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriages-fail-1472829/) [Married](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/married/) [Married Taught](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/married-taught-3598695/) [Mates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mates/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Picks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/picks/) [Resolve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/resolve/) [Spouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spouse/) [Taught](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taught/) [Taught Married](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taught-married-3598694/) [Taught Spouses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taught-spouses-3598697/) [Taught us](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taught-us/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [A man's world is different from a woman's world and a man's emotions are different from a woman's emotions and only marriage can bring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/a-man-s-world-is-different-from-a-woman-s-world-and-a-man-s-emotions/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [Few people who marry plan for their marriages to fail, but neither do they specifically plan for success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myles-munroe/few-people-who-marry-plan-for-their-marriages-to-fail-but-neither-do/) [Myles Munroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myles-munroe/) > [“Our marriages fail, our kids hate us, we die of stress and on the way we destroy the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-marsh/our-marriages-fail-our-kids-hate-us-we-die-of-stress-and-on-the-way/) [Nigel Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-marsh/) > [“That's what most people don't realize; that's why one out of every two marriages fail. Because people go into them with hearts in their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lielabell/that-s-what-most-people-don-t-realize-that-s-why-one-out-of-every-two/) [Lielabell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lielabell/) > [It is hardly possible to estimate how many marriages fail to prosper or are actually ruined because the man lacks any inkling of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-graf-keyserling/it-is-hardly-possible-to-estimate-how-many-marriages-fail-to-prosper/) [Hermann Graf Keyserling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-graf-keyserling/) > [In any family, the joy of a wedding must be tinged with a little anxiety. So many marriages fail. Luckily, people often get over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-portillo/in-any-family-the-joy-of-a-wedding-must-be-tinged-with-a-little/) [Michael Portillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-portillo/) > [Marriages struggle because we've set our marriages up to fail by thinking that this person is going to complete me when they were never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-hall/marriages-struggle-because-we-ve-set-our-marriages-up-to-fail-by/) [Mark Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-hall/) > [When you work as actors in this business, you spend a lot of time apart. That's why a lot of marriages fail. It's not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-kodjoe/when-you-work-as-actors-in-this-business-you-spend-a-lot-of-time/) [Boris Kodjoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-kodjoe/) > [“When marriages fail, it is not increasing conflict that is the cause. It is decreasing affection and emotional responsiveness...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-johnson/when-marriages-fail-it-is-not-increasing-conflict-that-is-the-cause/) [Sue Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-johnson/) > [We humans are hard to deal with. We are a loud, complex and demanding bunch. Often, we are best dealt with from a safe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/we-humans-are-hard-to-deal-with-we-are-a-loud-complex-and-demanding/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [Among the reasons marriages fail, sex ranks no higher than fourth, behind money, having only one bathroom, and an inability to communicate, reasons one,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bette-davis/among-the-reasons-marriages-fail-sex-ranks-no-higher-than-fourth/) [Bette Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bette-davis/) > [Paying attention to the reactions and feelings of the other person allows us to be more tender. In addition, we need to exercise a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meicee/paying-attention-to-the-reactions-and-feelings-of-the-other-person/) [Meicee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meicee/) > [Even in the most ideal marriage problems and challenges will arise. There is a constant barrage of distractions and circumstances in our society working…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/even-in-the-most-ideal-marriage-problems-and-challenges-will-arise/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A lot of women don't like to give blow jobs. On a related note: A lot of marriages fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/a-lot-of-women-don-t-like-to-give-blow-jobs-on-a-related-note-a-lot/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [What surprises me in life are not the marriages that fail, but the marriages that succeed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-hayworth/what-surprises-me-in-life-are-not-the-marriages-that-fail-but-the/) [Rita Hayworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-hayworth/) ## More by Phil McGraw > [People have the right to think and say whatever they want to. 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They command it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-mcgraw/leaders-inspire-they-aren-t-assigned-leadership-they-command-it/) [Phil McGraw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-mcgraw/) > [Those who marry for money end up EARNING it anyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-mcgraw/those-who-marry-for-money-end-up-earning-it-anyway/) [Phil McGraw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-mcgraw/) > [There's a big difference between falling in love and being in love. There's a big difference between infatuation and falling in love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-mcgraw/there-s-a-big-difference-between-falling-in-love-and-being-in-love/) [Phil McGraw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-mcgraw/) > [As parents we're not nearly as computer literate as our children are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-mcgraw/as-parents-we-re-not-nearly-as-computer-literate-as-our-children-are/) [Phil McGraw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-mcgraw/) > [Do you realize that you can't play the game of life with sweaty palms?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-mcgraw/do-you-realize-that-you-can-t-play-the-game-of-life-with-sweaty-palms/) [Phil McGraw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-mcgraw/) > [I think every parent, every generation has wanted their children to do better and have a higher standard of living. But I think there's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-mcgraw/i-think-every-parent-every-generation-has-wanted-their-children-to-do/) [Phil McGraw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-mcgraw/) > [The most you get is what you ask for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-mcgraw/the-most-you-get-is-what-you-ask-for/) [Phil McGraw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-mcgraw/) [Explore all 131 Phil McGraw quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-mcgraw/) ## More Being married quotes > [Jesus never said a word about homosexuality. In all of his teachings about multiple things - he never said that gay people should be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/jesus-never-said-a-word-about-homosexuality-in-all-of-his-teachings/) [Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/) > [What is it the Bible teaches us? - raping, cruelty, and murder. 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I believed in true romance; one-night stands are always going to leave you feeling cold and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/channing-tatum/no-i-was-never-that-kind-of-guy-i-believed-in-true-romance-one-night/) [Channing Tatum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/channing-tatum/) > [When you put a halo on concepts - gender roles, religion, nationality or pride - or you put a halo on any topic -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-mangan/when-you-put-a-halo-on-concepts-gender-roles-religion-nationality-or/) [Dan Mangan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-mangan/) > [Tell me, daughter Juliet, How stands your dispositions to be married" It is an honor that I dream not of](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/tell-me-daughter-juliet-how-stands-your-dispositions-to-be-married-it/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [I'm very happy to make specific choices (as an actor), (but) you can't be married to them because you never know when the writers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-chlumsky/i-m-very-happy-to-make-specific-choices-as-an-actor-but-you-can-t-be/) [Anna Chlumsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-chlumsky/) > [Valancy herself had never quite relinquished a certain pitiful, shamed, little hope that Romance would come her way yet—never, until this wet, horrible morning,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/valancy-herself-had-never-quite-relinquished-a-certain-pitiful-shamed/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [My ambition when I was four years old was to be married.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priyanka-chopra/my-ambition-when-i-was-four-years-old-was-to-be-married/) [Priyanka Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/priyanka-chopra/) > [When I'm married I want to be single, and when I'm single I want to be married.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cary-grant/when-i-m-married-i-want-to-be-single-and-when-i-m-single-i-want-to-be/) [Cary Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cary-grant/) > [So you want to be married, oh baby, trying to put me on a chain, ain't that some shame? 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