49 Infuriating Pictures That Show Some Women Live With Animals Instead Of Husbands

However bleak the picture of marriage painted by these posts may be, marriage is not all that bad. In fact, research shows that married people are actually happier than unmarried folks. A 2026 Pew Research Center poll showed that 43% of married Americans feel very happy, and only 24% of unmarrieds said the same.

Happiness levels are the same for married men and women, and only slightly higher for older people. Interestingly, having children doesn't change much either. Married couples with children report similar happiness to married people without kids. Similarly, unmarried folks without children are slightly less happy, but at similar levels to single, childless folk.

More recent research by the Pew Research Center in 2019 also reveals that Americans aren't that unhappy in their marriages. 58% of married respondents said that things are going very well in their marriage. In contrast, only 41% of unmarried couples said the same. Also, married couples trust each other more on things like infidelity, being truthful, and handling responsibility.

Despite how often we see complaints online, household chores don't seem to be a topic of contention for many American couples. The things that married people are mostly unsatisfied with are a lack of intimacy, their partner's poor communication skills, and how well their spouse manages to balance their work and personal life.

On the other hand, surveys show that household chores can really drive a wedge between two married people. According to a 2019 poll by Yelp, for example, 80% of people living with a partner disagree about chores. The most common arguments are about when to do them, how they should be done, and who should do them.

Arguments about everyday things like chores are very common and normal for married couples. Even experts agree – there probably isn't a couple in the world who hasn't had a disagreement about doing dishes, laundry, or taking the trash out. Licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Sharone Weltfreid explained to NBC that women bring up this topic more often than men. "Typically, women are the ones to voice frustration regarding the allocation of household chores."

Weltfreid observed that tensions stem from how differently men and women approach household tasks. "[Women] express that they can't rely on their partner to complete the requested household tasks or to do so in a timely manner. Consequently, they will do the tasks themselves and resentment will build."

"Their partner, on the other hand, doesn't see the significance or urgency of doing the laundry when people in the household still have clean clothing, the trash is not entirely full, having the house spotless when guests arrive, etc.," she explains the other POV. "This partner can become defensive or shut down when [they] feel criticized, 'not good enough,' [or] accused when [their] other contributions are not acknowledged."

Research also shows that women still carry more of the invisible load: the planning, organizing, and designating of tasks. According to a 2023 Pew study, in egalitarian marriages (where both spouses earn a similar amount), wives spend more time on caregiving and housework tasks. Husbands, on the other hand, spend three hours more on average doing paid work. However, it's offset by the four hours more that they dedicate to leisure every week.