Mother of the Bride: The Sequel: A fictional short-short story

Midlife Malaise, Episode 2: Our Marriage

Should You Marry?

Are You Becoming More Like Your Romantic Partner?: A self-inventory

As a relationship continues, partners tend to become more like each other. Have you become more like your partner in one or more of the following? My Psychology Today article today offers a self-inventory and asks you what if any of the changes do you want to celebrate or change.

Unsuccessful in Love? 12 questions that can unearth new hope

You’ve tried, perhaps tried a lot, to meet that, as they now say, special someone. With the plethora of dating advice out there, it would be hubristic of me to assert that I could offer you much that’s new. But you may find a distillation useful. 

So, my PsychologyToday.com article today offers 12 questions that could tease out something you want to do differently, in finding a new relationship, improving a current one, or resurrecting a past one.

What She'll Be Like Long-Term

It's only natural that we're on our best behavior when we're trying to deepen a relationship. But as time goes on, we tend to revert to our more permanent selves. That causes great disappointment, deeply compromised relationships, and breaking up, including after wedding.

My PsychologyToday.com article today offers some early warning signs of a person who, long-term, may not be as peachy keen as you first thought.

Keys to an Okay Marriage

This won’t be one of those articles offering “Secrets to Super Sexagenarian Sex.” Or “Keys to a Lifetime Storybook Marriage.” If you know those, please pass them my way.

But my wife, Dr. Barbara Nemko and I have been together for 43 years, three “in-sin” and 40 official, with no plans for divorce. While our marriage wasn't made in heaven, we’ve made it work here on earth. One of our long-time friends said, “Marty, I figured you and Barbara would be among the first to divorce.” Naaah-nah-nah-naah nah.

In my PsychologyToday.com article today, I share the secrets to our marriage’s long-term okayness.

Short Answers: Marry?

Brevity's benefits often trump comprehensiveness's. So on PsychologyToday.com, I’ve been offering short-form answers to commonly asked questions.

The first installments addressed career issues. This installment addresses a core relationship question: Should you marry? Of course, that subsumes two questions: “Should you marry that person?” and ”Should you marry at all?” I’ll address both here.

Do You Know How to be Married?: A self-assessment inventory

Yes, sometimes I think the institution of marriage is obsolete. Social and economic changes have reduced the need. 

And I can't even say that if I were starting over, I'd marry. But I did and while the marriage has never been made in heaven, it's worked pretty well here on earth. And we've been together for 43 years now, three years "living in sin" and 40 official years.

In today's PsychologyToday.com article, using the format I've used in some recent articles---the self-assessment inventory--I offer my thoughts on how to make marriage work.

The Relationship Report Card

Love and lust can impair judgment. In the short term, little harm is done. But sometimes the lack of objectivity extends even into deciding whether to get serious with someone. 

In my PsychologyToday.com article today, I offer a  Relationship Report Card to add a measure of rationality to deciding whether to get serious with someone.