--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I’ve seen unhappy marriages where each…" description: "\"“I’ve seen unhappy marriages where each spouse wants the other to change, where each is confessing the other’s “sins,” where each is trying to shape up..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d7/rosettabooks-25066_happy-marriage_i-ve-seen-unhappy-marriages-where-each-s_2604193.jpg" --- # I’ve seen unhappy marriages where each spouse wants the… ![“I’ve seen unhappy marriages where each spouse wants the other to change, where each is confessing the other’s “sins,” where each is trying to shape up the other.” quote by RosettaBooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d7/rosettabooks-25066_happy-marriage_i-ve-seen-unhappy-marriages-where-each-s_2604193.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d7/rosettabooks-25066_happy-marriage_i-ve-seen-unhappy-marriages-where-each-s_2604193.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d7/rosettabooks-25066_happy-marriage_i-ve-seen-unhappy-marriages-where-each-s_2604193.jpg) > ““I’ve seen unhappy marriages where each spouse wants the other to change, where each is confessing the other’s “sins,” where each is trying to shape up the other.”” RosettaBooks ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Marriages suffer when partners try to change each other instead of accepting differences. **In simple terms:** Accept differences, don’t try to change spouses. Key Takeaway Cultivate acceptance in relationships. Themes marriage conflict acceptance Mood empathetic thoughtful Type advisory reflective When to use this quote - couples therapy - family gatherings - daily interactions Key Concepts relationship dynamics personal growth Questions to Reflect On - What aspects of your partner do you cherish? - How can you support each other’s growth? A Different Perspective Change can be necessary for growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Happy marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happy-marriage/) [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) ## Related quotes > [Those who have made unhappy marriages walk on stilts, while the happy ones are on a level with the crowd. 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"In love-ness" is fragile for it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-morrow-lindbergh/marriage-is-tough-because-it-is-woven-of-all-these-various-elements/) [Anne Morrow Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-morrow-lindbergh/) > [Chumps always make the best husbands. All the unhappy marriages come from the husbands having brains.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-g-wodehouse-2/chumps-always-make-the-best-husbands-all-the-unhappy-marriages-come/) [P. G. Wodehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-g-wodehouse-2/) > [“that two-thirds of unhappy marriages will become happy within five years if people stay married and do not get divorced.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/that-two-thirds-of-unhappy-marriages-will-become-happy-within-five/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Arik and Cadie always knew they wouldn't be one of those couples that let problems between them fester. They would immediately address any issues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-cantrell/arik-and-cadie-always-knew-they-wouldn-t-be-one-of-those-couples-that/) [Christian Cantrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-cantrell/) > [I deal with unhappy marriages a lot. I've never been married, I'm single](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-danziger/i-deal-with-unhappy-marriages-a-lot-i-ve-never-been-married-i-m-single/) [Paula Danziger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-danziger/) > [As women in industrial societies join the paid workforce, they gain the economic means to depart unhappy marriages more easily.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fisher/as-women-in-industrial-societies-join-the-paid-workforce-they-gain/) [Helen Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fisher/) > [“In particular, husbands and wives who do poorly at nonverbal communication tend to be dissatisfied with their marriages. Moreover, when such problems occur, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowland-miller/in-particular-husbands-and-wives-who-do-poorly-at-nonverbal/) Rowland Miller ## More by RosettaBooks > [“But I think the most important aspect of The 7 Habits—what makes it not just practical, but profound—is its emphasis on building character rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosettabooks/but-i-think-the-most-important-aspect-of-the-7-habits-what-makes-it/) RosettaBooks > [“Whether you feel that your soul is pleased by the conception or contemplation of harmonies, or that your mind is stimulated by the aspect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosettabooks/whether-you-feel-that-your-soul-is-pleased-by-the-conception-or/) RosettaBooks > [“But is it possible that my spouse isn’t the real problem? Could I be empowering my spouse’s weaknesses and making my life a function…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosettabooks/but-is-it-possible-that-my-spouse-isn-t-the-real-problem-could-i-be/) RosettaBooks > [“Still, organizations are composed of people, and the more effective those people, the stronger the organization.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosettabooks/still-organizations-are-composed-of-people-and-the-more-effective/) RosettaBooks > [“Covey wrote primarily about building character, not about “achieving success”—and thereby helped people become not just more effective individuals, but better leaders;”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosettabooks/covey-wrote-primarily-about-building-character-not-about-achieving/) RosettaBooks > [“Covey set out to write a book, not on building great organizations, but on achieving great personal effectiveness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosettabooks/covey-set-out-to-write-a-book-not-on-building-great-organizations-but/) RosettaBooks > [“I’ve come to a personal belief that a key ingredient in the West Point recipe is the idea that great leadership begins first with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosettabooks/i-ve-come-to-a-personal-belief-that-a-key-ingredient-in-the-west/) RosettaBooks > [“As we sincerely seek to understand and integrate these principles into our lives, I am convinced we will discover and rediscover the truth of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosettabooks/as-we-sincerely-seek-to-understand-and-integrate-these-principles/) RosettaBooks > [“He was the master of being “proactive,” and much to our vexation while growing up, we were never allowed to make excuses or blame…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosettabooks/he-was-the-master-of-being-proactive-and-much-to-our-vexation-while/) RosettaBooks > [“build inner character first—private victory before public victory.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosettabooks/build-inner-character-first-private-victory-before-public-victory/) RosettaBooks > [“you want to have a happy marriage, be the kind of person who generates positive energy and sidesteps negative energy rather than empowering it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosettabooks/you-want-to-have-a-happy-marriage-be-the-kind-of-person-who-generates/) RosettaBooks > [“Habits, too, have tremendous gravity pull—more than most people realize or would admit. Breaking deeply imbedded habitual tendencies such as procrastination, impatience, criticalness, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosettabooks/habits-too-have-tremendous-gravity-pull-more-than-most-people-realize/) RosettaBooks > [“Everyone” might say finishing Harvard should be the most important task for a young Bill Gates. 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Nobody ever died of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-weiner/divorce-isn-t-such-a-tragedy-a-tragedy-s-staying-in-an-unhappy/) [Jennifer Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-weiner/) > [Keep your eyes wide open before marriage, and halfway closed there after.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-dobson/keep-your-eyes-wide-open-before-marriage-and-halfway-closed-there/) [James Dobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-dobson/) > [A happy marriage has in it all the pleasures of a friendship, all the enjoyments of sense and reason, and indeed, all the sweets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-happy-marriage-has-in-it-all-the-pleasures-of-a-friendship-all-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Sensual pleasures have the fleeting brilliance of a comet; a happy marriage has the tranquillity of a lovely sunset.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-landers/sensual-pleasures-have-the-fleeting-brilliance-of-a-comet-a-happy/) [Ann Landers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-landers/) > [Why? Why does what was beautiful suddenly shatter in hindsight because it concealed dark truths? Why does the memory of years of happy marriage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernhard-schlink/why-why-does-what-was-beautiful-suddenly-shatter-in-hindsight-because/) [Bernhard Schlink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernhard-schlink/) > [If you will make your first concern the comfort, the well-being, and the happiness of your companion, sublimating any personal concern to that loftier…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-b-hinckley/if-you-will-make-your-first-concern-the-comfort-the-well-being-and/) [Gordon B. Hinckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-b-hinckley/) > [What is right for one couple is wrong for another. I would say that there are many more important factors to a happy marriage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-aston/what-is-right-for-one-couple-is-wrong-for-another-i-would-say-that/) [Elizabeth Aston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-aston/) > [When I got married in my twenties, I had a happy marriage and happy kids but at some point in time I let it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-rose/when-i-got-married-in-my-twenties-i-had-a-happy-marriage-and-happy/) [Stuart Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-rose/) > [“It is lack of communication that leads to unhappy marriage.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/it-is-lack-of-communication-that-leads-to-unhappy-marriage/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [Those who have made unhappy marriages walk on stilts, while the happy ones are on a level with the crowd. No one sees 'em!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-mary-teresa-craigie/those-who-have-made-unhappy-marriages-walk-on-stilts-while-the-happy/) [Pearl Mary Teresa Craigie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-mary-teresa-craigie/) > [“Fourth time's the charm," she says to people who ask her what the secret of a happy marriage is, but that's not the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/fourth-time-s-the-charm-she-says-to-people-who-ask-her-what-the/) [Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/) > [A man imagines a happy marriage as a marriage of love; even if he makes fun of marriages that are without love, or feels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/a-man-imagines-a-happy-marriage-as-a-marriage-of-love-even-if-he/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [Stuck in an unhappy marriage on the path to divorce, my father concluded that abortion should be the solution to the unplanned, unwanted pregnancy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-cooper/stuck-in-an-unhappy-marriage-on-the-path-to-divorce-my-father/) [Brett Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-cooper/) > [Another ingredient in a happy marriage: Budget the luxuries first!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/another-ingredient-in-a-happy-marriage-budget-the-luxuries-first/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Marriage enlarges the scene of our happiness and of our miseries. A marriage of love is pleasant, of interest, easy, and where both meet,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/marriage-enlarges-the-scene-of-our-happiness-and-of-our-miseries-a/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) [Browse all 254 Happy marriage quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happy-marriage/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I’ve seen unhappy marriages where each spouse wants the other to change, where each is confessing the other’s “sins,” where each is trying to shape up the other.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "RosettaBooks" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosettabooks/i-ve-seen-unhappy-marriages-where-each-spouse-wants-the-other-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Happy marriage" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosettabooks/i-ve-seen-unhappy-marriages-where-each-spouse-wants-the-other-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d7/rosettabooks-25066_happy-marriage_i-ve-seen-unhappy-marriages-where-each-s_2604193.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d7/rosettabooks-25066_happy-marriage_i-ve-seen-unhappy-marriages-where-each-s_2604193.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d7/rosettabooks-25066_happy-marriage_i-ve-seen-unhappy-marriages-where-each-s_2604193.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I’ve seen unhappy marriages where each spouse wants the other to change, where each is confessing the…” — RosettaBooks", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "RosettaBooks", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosettabooks/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“I’ve seen unhappy marriages where each...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosettabooks/i-ve-seen-unhappy-marriages-where-each-spouse-wants-the-other-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosettabooks/i-ve-seen-unhappy-marriages-where-each-spouse-wants-the-other-to/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```