You can never be sure what’s happening inside someone’s head. Even if you've known them for a long time.
A Reddit user named aManFilledWithRegret just shared his story with the platform’s community on r/TrueOffMyChest. He married his college sweetheart when they were still students and the couple had gone through thick and thin together. They had been together for over a decade and, despite his family’s suspicions, the man thought that was only the beginning.
But when he was laid off, he realized it was the end.
This man loved his wife and made sure she had everything that she needed
Image credits: Karolina Grabowska (not the actual photo)
But when he started making significantly less, their relationship hit the rocks
Eventually, she divorced him
Image credits: cottonbro studio (not the actual photo)
Image source: amanfilledwithregret
The man clearly hasn't recovered yet
Image credits: Andrea Piacquadio (not the actual photo)
The leading reasons for divorce have fluctuated over the years and vary by country, often heavily influenced by cultural beliefs and practices. In Denmark, for example, a 2019 study revealed the top causes were:
- lack of love and intimacy;
- communication problems;
- lack of sympathy, trust, and respect;
- growing apart because of different interests and activities.
A national survey from 2005 remains the most recent large-scale report about the leading causes of divorce in the US. According to this survey, the 12 top reasons for divorce from most to least common are:
- lack of commitment;
- constant arguing or conflict;
- infidelity;
- marrying too young;
- unrealistic expectations about partner or marriage;
- inequality between partners;
- inadequate preparation for marriage;
- domestic violence;
- financial problems;
- conflict about domestic work;
- lack of family support;
- religious differences.
Americans are hesitant to share how much they make with their partners
Image credits: Karolina Grabowska (not the actual photo)
However, more couples might be heading down the same path as aManFilledWithRegret. About 1 in 5 Americans don't tell anyone how much their salary is, including their spouses or partners, according to a 2018 survey from Aspiration, a California-based financial services firm.
Only 60 percent of women and 52 percent of men share their salaries with their significant others. American adults’ hesitancy to share how much they make can hinder healthy financial growth as a couple, said Andrei Cherny, co-founder and CEO of Aspiration.
"Money has traditionally been a taboo topic in America and people don’t like to discuss it because it makes them uncomfortable," Cherny told CNBC. “However, this, unfortunately, results in many Americans having limited financial literacy — how are people supposed to learn how to deal with their money in a responsible way if nobody ever wants to talk about it?"
While some people support the man
Many think there might be more to the story
Here's what the others are saying
