Is it safe for a wife to be smarter than her husband?
Of course! Men who cannot afford social ornaments sometimes want inferior wives. Why? Often because they harbor a great sense of inferiority. Therefore at all economic levels there are some men who want apparently weak and docile women whom they can dominate completely, who will not put up any arguments, and who will do as they are told without any "ifs," "ands," or "buts." Likewise there are women who either want to be dominated, or who are so eager to marry that they will do so under such circumstances.
What about the "ordinary man" who has no serious feelings of inadequacy, and who cannot afford, and does not desire a social ornament? Does he demand that his wife not have too many brains?
Certainly he wants her to be intelligent enough to do her job well. He does not want to feel ashamed of her because of her stupidity. Actually, too, the marriage will turn out more successfully if the wife is smart enough to be interesting, and to help develop satisfying personal relationships.
Still, the man usually does not want to feel inferior to his wife. But feeling inferior is not the same as being inferior. Some men have a quiet pride in a wife who is smarter, provided that she is smart enough not to make him appear and feel inferior, especially in front of his friends.
Some men, like some women, want others to run things for them. This desire may result from an unwillingness to assume responsibilities. It may come from a deep-seated desire to be dominated. Whatever its basis, there are men who want to be dominated by their wives. In such cases, both of them should know it in advance.
The problem is not limited to what men in general, or this man in particular, may want. There is also social demand. The boy and the girl who plan marriage should have a clear understanding of what the entire situation actually is, including its contradictions which they must somehow resolve.
Our culture expects the husband to be intellectually superior to his wife. Yet actually, he is not and in many cases cannot be. By the law of chances, there will be almost as many wives who are superior to their husbands, as husbands who are superior to their wives. So what to do?
In real life the situation does not work out too badly. Vocationally, the wife usually becomes side-tracked while she is bearing and rearing the children. With a twenty-year advantage, even a relatively inferior husband can usually manage to keep ahead. And as a result of the differences in what society expects, the wife usually runs with the throttle only partly open.
While the husband is advancing himself vocationally, or rising in his company, the wife busies herself getting up church suppers and organizing flower shows which consume her time and energy, but do not show up in either the pay check or her vocational standing.
Yet such advantages are not always enough to keep the husband ahead. If the difference in ability is marked, it speedily becomes known.
Such a situation may be concealed by a polite little conspiracy to maintain the fiction of male superiority, but everyone knows to whom to go, to get things done. In our day this fiction is becoming more difficult to maintain.
More and more wives are going back to work as soon as their children are old enough to be left by themselves, and are getting real money and recognition.
In some instances, the wife will outstrip her husband. The problem often becomes a real issue at the time when her income exceeds his.
My feeling is that the soundest marriages are those in which husband and wife are on about the same level of intelligence. We may think that the problem will be serious, only if the girl is markedly superior, but this is by no means necessarily true. The girl who marries a man who is intellectually far superior may face problems quite as serious. She will be safer if she chooses a man more nearly on her own level, so that through the years the relationship can most easily be maintained.
There is just as much chance that the wife will be superior to the husband, as the other way around. All who marry should face this fact. Actually there is no more justification for a man feeling embarrassed because his wife is superior, than there is for a wife to feel embarrassed because her husband excels her.
In any case, character and personality are far more important, provided each of the couple is intelligent enough to do a good job.
This article was written by Jonathan Tan of christian dating tips and may be reproduced on any christian or dating website provided this copyright statement is displayed unedited in its entirety at the foot of the article and you use the exact same HTML code to ensure a clickable link back to the author's site.
apartment cleaning near Mundelein ..Ask someone why they had, or are having an affair... Read More
When it comes to response/RSVP cards, the goal is to... Read More
In Las Vegas, once you get your marriage license you... Read More
Between paying for the wedding and setting up a new... Read More
When you come to choose a wedding gift it's no... Read More
Bless the bride... and God help the video maker. True.... Read More
So you're planning your wedding and a thousand decisions must... Read More
Gatlinburg in Tennessee is the city with streets of art... Read More
Depending on your personal preferences and the preferences of your... Read More
It wasn't the wedding of the century. Six people in... Read More
Let's face it retirement is a time of great transition... Read More
Basically, there are three wedding bouquet styles. The cascade, round... Read More
Thinking about remarrying? Consider these reasons why others have chosen... Read More
Beth and Tom were happily married for over 25 years... Read More
Brides are looking for different ways to make their wedding... Read More
Think your bridal gown is the most important garment you'll... Read More
Love should not blind a couple to the realities of... Read More
Your wedding is supposed to be the most important day... Read More
Here comes the bride! Walking through the alley confidence holding... Read More
If you are planning to have a full wedding that... Read More
Marriage is a wonderful thing, but planning the wedding is... Read More
A wedding is one of life's major rites of passage.... Read More
As we hear the music begin to play the Bridal... Read More
Since Maui and Hawaii in general have been blessed with... Read More
OverviewI suppose a typical Christian wedding in the UK can... Read More
bedroom cleaning professionals Mundelein ..Brides through the ages have accessorized with wedding jewelry to... Read More
Let's face it, not many of us have the kind... Read More
Receiving wedding gifts is a whole lot more fun when... Read More
Moissanite is fast becoming the new diamonds. The newest jewelry... Read More
Do you remember when there were no children in your... Read More
Every marriage needs a healthy dose of on-going romance to... Read More
Numerous men have pondered the questions, "Why does my wife... Read More
If you are at all familiar with Las Vegas, you... Read More
If you are looking forward to a vacation of attractive... Read More
Thousands of years ago, the Celts, a group of independent... Read More
Cruising down the river was always deemed by couples the... Read More
It is wrong if you thought that typical British weddings... Read More
My husband Bill and I have just had our 37th-wedding... Read More
As you reach 30 and beyond, you encounter a very... Read More
Taking the hassle out of finding your perfect and unique... Read More
Beth and Tom were happily married for over 25 years... Read More
Here comes the bride! Walking through the alley confidence holding... Read More
You invitation is a reflection on the type of wedding... Read More
Does it seem like the phrases "ecology" and "wedding" could... Read More
If you've been to one wedding, you've seen it all.... Read More
The kids are yelling, the dog is barking, and you... Read More
Reading this article does not necessarily mean that if you... Read More
Your wedding party is a major factor in the success... Read More
Just as with your first marriage, your second marriage is... Read More
The elegant and sophisticated look of glittering, gleaming gold. There's... Read More
Marriage & Wedding |