How Can We Hope To Live Happily Ever After?

By Stephen Russell-Lacy

A Jane Austin novel seems to end at the altar as if the wedding were all that is necessary for future bliss. Yet these days a lot of marriages seem to finish up on the scrap heap and you might have a sneaky feeling that perhaps a well-known film star was right in her opinion.

"Sometimes I wonder if men and women really suit each other. Perhaps they should live next door and just visit now and then."(Katherine Hepburn)

So is achieving a happy marriage simply a matter of selecting the right mate in the first place, or is it about finding a successful formula for living together? Or perhaps you think it is all to do with good luck?

Experience of happy couples Rather than study just failed relationships, several psychological researchers have actually looked at successful marriages. For example the late Judith Wallerstein, reported in her book The good marriage: How and why love lasts, that happily married men and women both tend to report the same basic experiences.

We worked it out. To love, you must feel emotionally safe - totally accepted, respected, and supported. Therefore, we don't criticize or strike out in anger, instead we gently request a change."

"We do so much together and agree on most issues, but we have a clear sense of self and do things by ourselves"

"We cherish our time together, expressing our appreciation of each other for little acts of kindness as well as major sacrifices. We treasure our memories and frequently remind each other of the good times."

This is only a glimpse of what some contented partners have known.

Mature love Clearly a lasting relationship is something more than mere sexual pleasure, romantic sentiment, or emotional infatuation.

"You can tell that it's infatuation when you think that he's as sexy as Paul Newman, as athletic as Pete Rose, as selfless and dedicated as Ralph Nader, as smart as John Kenneth Galbraith and as funny as Don Rickles. You can be reasonably sure that it's love when you realize he's actually about as sexy as Don Rickles, as athletic as Ralph Nader, as smart as Pete Rose, as funny as John Kenneth Galbraith and doesn't resemble Paul Newman in any way - but you'll stick with him anyway." (Judith Viorst)

Immature love has been called trying to fill loneliness or an emotional vacuum with a love relationship. Some psychotherapists have written about immature love saying it follows the principle "I love because I am loved" and " I love you because I need you." On the other hand they say that mature love, its opposite, follows the principle "I am loved because I love," and"I need you because I love you."

Not surprisingly, mature love is said to imply concern for the partner's emotional and bodily needs, respect for their uniqueness, seeing them as they really are and helping them to grow and unfold in their own ways, for their own sake and not for serving oneself. We are told it involves entering and become familiar with the private world of the lover, to live in the other person's life and sense his or her meanings and experiences.

Commitment Mature love involves commitment. But the issue of commitment seems difficult to many. Importantly, there is commitment to the exclusive nature of the relationship. Infidelity is a 'no no.' In line with the teachings of the world's major religions, illicit sex and unchaste thoughts are to be avoided.

"Over time, any deception destroys intimacy, and without intimacy couples cannot have true and lasting love." (Bonnie Eaker Weil).

An affair is a betrayal of the trust that has been shared in marriage that is extremely hurtful to the innocent partner.

Neither can a lack of commitment to work on the relationship be seen as good news. There are bound to be problems in any sexual union and so if one gives up easily one could end up living with several partners without giving any of them a proper chance.

"Patience gives your spouse permission to be human. It understands that everyone fails. When a mistake is made, it chooses to give them more time that they deserve to correct it. It gives you the ability to hold on during the rough times in your relationship rather than bailing out under the pressure." (Stephen Kendrick).

Origin of mature love So where does mature love come from? According to Emanuel Swedenborg it has a divine origin. This he calls 'conjugial love' which he says is a spiritual gift: it only flows into where it is wanted but when it flows it creates a deep sense of joy, contentment, and delight that lasts for ever. You might wonder whether this is the 'happy ever after' many have dreamed about?

Swedenborg maintains that if 'conjugial love 'is to be received it requires a man to be prepared to be influenced by his wife's subjective feelings of care and sensitivity to personal issues. He needs to listen to her practical wisdom. And it requires a woman to be willing to learn from her husband's objective and rational thinking. On the other hand,

"When a woman thinks her husband is a fool, her marriage is over. They may part in one year or ten; they may live together until death. But if she thinks he is a fool, she will not love him again." (Philippa Gregory).

In other words lasting happiness requires a suitable love match where the two partners can progress together in their personal inner journey, being willing to prioritise each of their needs and humbly learn from each other by celebrating their different strengths.

Copyright 2012 Stephen Russell-Lacy

As a clinical psychologist, Stephen Russell-Lacy has specialised in cognitive-behavioural psychotherapy, working for many years with adults suffering distress and disturbance.

He edits Spiritual Questions a free eZine that explores links between spiritual philosophy and the comments and questions of spiritual seekers. You can share your views and find out more about making sense of life.

His book Heart, Headand Hands draws links between the psycho-spiritual teachings of the eighteenth century spiritual philosopher Emanuel Swedenborg and current ideas in therapy and psychology.

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