Mind & EverydayFact
The single behaviour that pushes couples apart most.
John Gottman observed couples in his lab for decades and described four warning signs: criticism, defensiveness, stonewalling and contempt. Contempt – eye-rolling, mockery, belittling – was the strongest predictor of separation in his longitudinal data. Stable couples argued too, but stayed respectful and repaired conflicts quickly.
Useful: Arguing is fine; watch for whether mockery or eye-rolling creeps in.
Source: en.wikipedia.org