Marriage and Divorce: Beating the Odds with DISC

The Forest Institute of Professional Psychology compiled data on marriage and came to the following conclusions:

• 50% of first marriages will end in divorce
• The divorce rate in America for a second marriage is 67%
• The divorce rate in America for a third marriage is 74%

Interestingly, when you research the most common reason why couples choose to split up, the same answer comes up again and again: a lack of communication.

Poor communication is almost always cited by mental health professionals as the #1 trigger for divorce. Of course, there are a lot of ways that communication problems can manifest themselves in a relationship. Maybe you shut down in an attempt to avoid difficult conversations? Or maybe you become too defensive when criticized? A relationship study by University of Washington’s John Gottman found that there’s one more major communication problem that frequently leads to divorce: being overly critical of your partner’s personality.

When we heard Gottman’s findings, it was confirmation of everything we knew to be true from our own research: failing to understand personality can be a relationship killer.

It’s research like this that drives us to share what we know about personality with our clients. When you understand DISC and behavioral analysis, it opens up a whole new way of understanding your partner. An understanding of personality and personality types is so important—It can put you down the path to opening up channels of communication that you feared were forever closed and give you a new appreciation for the way your partner thinks, feels, and expresses love.

A strong and healthy relationship can improve all aspects of your life and change your outlook on the future. 50% of marriages end in divorce, but that doesn’t mean that the other 50% are necessarily happy. Check out the Relationship Recharge Kit to put you back on track by helping you make a good relationship better.