Marriage Builders for 2011

 

Analogy of Marriage:

A Base Camp for

Mountain Climbing 

 

When dealing with couples, my wife and I draw the analogy between marriage and a base camp for mountain climbing. If one wants to climb mountains one must have a good base camp, a place where there are shelter and provisions, where one may receive nurture and rest before one ventures forth again to seek another summit. Successful mountain climbers know that they must spend at least as much time, if not more, in tending to their base camp as they actually do in climbing mountains, for their survival is dependent upon their seeing to it that their base camp is sturdily constructed and well stocked.

 

M. Scott Peck,

The Road Less Traveled

 
RelatingWell:
Differences

Deborah Tannen, who writes about communication, has some new work about gender differences in conversations. She says that women usually want to connect and men's conversation is more focused on hierarchy, wanting to be in a one-up position.

 

Tannen listened to many adult conversations and studied little children also and found that little girls want to connect, "I like that, too!" and little boys often want to top each other, "I can hit the ball farther."

 

It isn't always divided into male and female genders; some women are more competitive and men who are in a mood to please can be very accommodating and agreeable.

 

The point is to understand that we have different patterns of conversation and to know that when we want to be close, both of us need to make the effort to be warm, responsive and agreeable to each other.

 

-- Bea Strickland
Posted by Jeff Fuson
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