10 Things You Can Say To Make Your Man Feel Good About Being “Your Man”.

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By Ayize Ma’at

One of the things that jumps out at me in our relationship counseling sessions is that many women in relationships are missing the mark when it comes to effective communication.  Yup, I said it….many women are poor communicators and consequently have subpar relationships.  This may be confusing and somewhat socially contradictory because women have been deemed “great communicators”, “expressive”, “chatterboxes”, “in tune and outspoken”.  But please understand this, JUST BECAUSE YOU TALK MORE IT DOESN’T MEAN YOU’RE A BETTER COMMUNICATOR”.  The words you speak only represent a fraction (7%) of what it means to communicate.  Body language, facial expressions, tone, and tempo weigh more heavily on whether the message you’re trying to communicate is actually being received and understood.  Ladies, for the sake of this post I’m only gonna focus on what you say.  For now take note of these 10 Things You Can Say TODAY To Put A Smile On Your Man’s Face…(or in his heart).

1.  I LOVE YOU

When was the last time you told your man “I Love You”?  I’m not talking about saying it in passing, before you hang up the phone, or before you walk out the door.  I’m talking about saying “I Love You” in a moment of stillness.  A man wants to feel that his woman’s love is deliberate and intentional.  Please press pause on your day and tell your special someone,  “I Love You“.

2.  IT’S O.K. IF…..

Ladies fill in the blank with (hang out with the fellas, go to a movie, go have a drink, take a nap, do nothing).  This is all about the psychological relief your man feels when you grant him guilt free space.  You see a responsible man is constantly thinking about his family and reoccurring obligations.  Give him permission to RELAX by saying “It’s o.k. if…..”

3.  I APPRECIATE YOU

It’s easy to take your spouse for granted.  It’s also easy to refuse to tell your spouse you appreciate them when you feel your relationship is a constant drama.  While you may be going through rough times all the damn time one way you can consciously shift the energy of your relationship and your man’s mood is by saying “I appreciate you“.  Let him know what he does that you’re thankful for.  Trust me, your man wants and needs to hear, “I appreciate you”.

4.  I FORGIVE YOU

The Mrs. and I saw a movie yesterday that had us both choked up.  The story was about releasing yourself from anger, fear, and pain AND renewing yourself by submitting to the healing power of trust and love.  Ladies, pay attention to this next line.  I GUARANTEE YOU HAVE F***ED UP IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP.  Are you able to admit this?  With this understanding I challenge you to show compassion for your man and say “I Forgive You“.

5.  YES

In the words of Floetry, “All You Gotta Do Is Say Yes”.  Yes, Yes, Yes!!!  How many times has your man asked you to do something he enjoys and you’ve said NO?  Whether it be watch a game, go to a club, attend a seminar, or have sex, your man shouldn’t feel like you got “NO!” on auto-reply.  Give him more of what he wants, even if more of what he wants is outside of your comfort zone.  Ladies it will mean a lot to him…SAY YES.

6.  YOU ARE RIGHT

You’ve heard the saying, “Opinions are like a$$holes, we all have them”.  Well everybody wants to have their opinions affirmed.  The next time you and your man are having a discussion, please remember to say, “you are right”.  It’s o.k. to divorce yourself from your ego and occasionally concede.  It’s also o.k. to give credit where credit is due.  You play a significant part in enhancing your man’s esteem.  Do your part and say “You are right.”

7.   I’M SORRY

The general perception is that women do this “relationship thing” better than men.  I will not confirm or deny this statement.  However what I will unreservedly state is that in all the couples we’ve worked with ….women and men have made mistakes.  Yes you may feel like your man’s actions were more egregious, but somewhere and somehow in your relationship you’ve messed up.  B intentional about saying “I’m sorry“. It will let him know you’re not solely committed to “being right” or being “holier than thou”.

8.   I NEED YOU

Ladies, this is what your man wants to hear:

“I could be congresswoman
Or a garbage woman or
Police officer, or a carpenter
I could be a doctor and a lawyer and a mother and a good girl
God what you’ve done to me
Kind of lover I could be
I could be a computer analyst, the Queen with the nappy hair raising her fist
Or I could be much more and a myriad of this
Hot as the summer, sweet as the first kiss
And even though I can do all these things
I need you” – Jill Scott

9.   YOU MAKE ME FEEL SAFE

Although the blueprint for manhood is somewhat elusive, there are some basic things that we KNOW we need to do as men.  One of those is to protect our family.  When you let your man know that he makes you feel safe, he instantaneously feels inspired to do more and do better.  Let him know you feel secure when you’re in his arms.  Let him know you feel protected.  Let him know he makes you feel safe.

10. I GOT YOUR BACK

Stand in your man’s corner and cheer him on.  Stand in your man’s corner and challenge him.  Stand in your man’s corner and support him.  Stand in your man’s corner and defend him.  Stand in your man’s corner and promote him.  Stand in your man’s corner and comfort him.  Stand in your man’s corner and salute him.  Your man NEEDS to hear you say…”I got your back“.

If you enjoyed reading this piece I know you’ll enjoy the insight, inspiration, and exercises in our SPEAK LOVE RIGHT PACKAGE.  If you do what we say….your connection and communication will be on FIYAHHH.  CLICK HERE  to INSTANTLY get your copy and to learn how to improve the quality of your relationship TODAY!!!

Ayize Ma’at is Co-founder and President of B Intentional, LLC, the Relationship Education company that owns and operates Blackloveandmarriage.com, the premiere cutting edge Marriage and Family web publication with the largest collection of love and marriage advice videos for African Americans. He is a Marriage & Relationship Educator certified in various Singles and Marriage Education curriculums and has a passion for inspiring others to grow and gain a deeper understanding of love. He is a devoted husband and the proud father of 4 amazing children.

Why In The Hell Are We Always Arguing?

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If arguments were all you saw and heard growing up then it may feel natural to argue a lot. Truthfully you might get a high, an adrenaline rush from the excitement that arguing brings. But whatever the cause, chronic arguing brings problems – and not just for the neighbors…BUT…for your relationship and your family.

Yes, most of us argue sometimes and it would be a dry ass world if we all saw things in exactly the same way. Constructive arguing is cool, but destructive arguing can destroy valuable relationships. The opposite of arguing isn’t agreement in all things, it’s knowing how to disagree and still maintain mutual respect. The biggest understanding that you can embrace is difference is o.k. Once you get that…you’ll release the need to always be right and consequently the number of arguments will decrease. CHECK OUT THE BELOW VIDEO. It contains some valuable insights that will help you deal with disagreements..AKA…BEEF.

 

Marriage Communication 101: The Listener Controls The Conversation

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By Team BLAM

Are you aware that a listener, not the speaker, controls the conversation? Probably not, since most of us operate under the myth that the more we talk, the more we influence the listener. If both people in a conversation believe this, the talking escalates and becomes more intense, making words fly through the air with nowhere to land.

What do I mean by saying the listener controls the conversation? Compare listening to the driving of a car. The person talking can be likened to the engine, the person listening can be likened to the person at the wheel. The engine provides the power, but the person at the wheel has the power to decide where the car will go. You, the listener can give direction and guide the flow of the conversation by the statements you ask and the questions you ask.

This is what is called paraphrasing. When you paraphrase what another person is saying, that person will continue to talk. And when you verbally agree with the talker, you cause the person to share even more.

So, why do we listen to other people? Partly because we’ve been taught to do so. But there are 4 basic reasons why we listen to other people.

1. To understand the other person.

2. To enjoy the other person.

3. To learn something from the one talking (such as learning his or her language).

4. To give help, assistance, or comfort to the other person.

The world is made up of many pseudolisteners who masquerade as the real product. But, anyone who has not listened for the above reasons does not really listen.

Stop Playing. Start Pushing.

BLAM Fam: On a scale of 1-10 with 1 being “You suck at listening” to 10 being “You are an example worth following” when it comes to listening–where do you fall? In other words have you really been listening to your spouse? Do you consciously and consistently work on becoming a better listener? Keep it real ya’ll. 😉

“No couple begins marriage with highly developed communication. It is not something they bring into marriage, but something to be continually cultivated through all of the experiences of their shared life.” `Norman H. Wright

Excerpted from H. Norman Wright’s Communication:Key To Your Marriage

How To Deal With A Stubborn Spouse Who Always Pushes Back

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Resistant. Attitude. Can’t take criticism. Never wrong. Hard for them to hear you because they’re so busy defending themselves…. sound familiar. If this is your spouse or…maybe it’s you….this question and answer is for YOU.

A viewer wrote in and said….

Hey guys, love the show. I have a question I’d like to pose, anonymously. How does one communicate an issue with someone who is stubborn or quick to anger? Verbal aggression is a lot of the times used as a barrier to deflect an issue that need to be addressed. Serious issues as well as the minor stuff. Difficult to penetrate, even with persistence… Tips?

What are some of the ways you deal with your boo when they ain’t trying to hear you? Are you strategic? Creative? Or do you push back too? Listen in to our answer below.

5 Signs That Your Relationship Is Done!

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By Alex Daniels

Relationships are fragile and not everyone you meet is destined to be your soul mate. But, that’s the good thing about dating. You can meet different people so that you will know when the right person does come along. So, what are some of the indications that your relationship may be headed south? Take a look at the following 5 signs and see if your love will pass the test.

Inconvenience. Does your partner all of a sudden act as though making time for you is a burden? If you feel like your sweetheart cannot or will not fit you into their busy schedule, there may be a reason. If you’re spending more and more time apart, it may be time to make the distance permanent.

Defensiveness. When your mate isn’t where he/she is supposed to be and then becomes defensive when asked about it, you may have a problem. This may be a sign of cheating or just plain out dishonesty but, either way, it’s a good indication that the relationship is in trouble.

Dishonesty. If someone deceives you, it’s not okay. Whether it’s something that you can forgive or not, that’s a personal decision. Regardless of the deceit or it’s severity, the fact that your partner was dishonest is not an indication that the relationship is heading in the right direction. Why did this person deceive you and why did they believe it was okay? If this situation isn’t corrected, the relationship is just as good as finished either way you look at it.

Constant arguments. If you and your mate are always bickering, ask yourself what has changed within the relationship to create all of the hostility. If nitpicking is a problem, why does it seem as though the other person is always trying to start an argument? If there are legitimate reasons for the disagreements, what are they and what lead to their development? In some cases, people just change and may even grow apart. If your occasional argument has turned into a daily habit, it may be time to reevaluate the relationship and try to determine whether or not these issues can or will ever be resolved.

The rumor mill. Rumors are rumors and sometimes they may be just that. But some say there is a little bit of truth to every one. If people are talking about your mate, listen to what they are saying and decide for yourself whether or not there is any credibility to their statements. When you’re in love, your judgement may be clouded and you may even be angry at those who are talking. In deciding who and what to believe, first consider who is doing the talking. Is it someone that cares for you and has always had your best interest at heart? If so, take a good listen to what they are saying. This doesn’t mean that you should believe everything that you hear and, by that same token, you shouldn’t disbelieve it either.

5 Ways To Get Your Partner To Stop Yelling And Start Listening

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By Susie and Otto Collins

Does it seem like any conversation with your partner turns into a shouting match?

Do you feel like your mate can’t (or won’t) hear what you have to say?

Does it often seem like your partner yells at you more than he or she speaks to you?

Yelling, shouting and arguing do happen. We all lose our cool from time to time and say things more harshly than we intended. Some of us try to keep our intense emotions under control, but then we have a major meltdown and let it all out.

You may have mostly been on the receiving end of your partner’s anger and shouting. Or, it could be that you tend to rise to his or her level of intensity and you both end up yelling.

While it’s certainly not healthy to hold in your emotions or to try to hide how you truly feel, it’s also not healthy or effective to communicate with your partner by shouting and yelling.

As you probably already know, when you are being yelled at, it’s nearly impossible to really listen to the meaning of the shouted words. When you are yelling, it is also nearly impossible to communicate and be heard.

If your partner has a habit of yelling at you and you’d like him or her to stop so that you two can really communicate and connect, try these 5 tips…

#1: Recognize your role.

It’s rarely easy to acknowledge that you also play a role in the conflict that’s going on in your love relationship or marriage– but you most likely do. Have the courage to recognize the role that you play.

It could be your tendency to get defensive, to close down and become silent, to criticize, blame or judge. When you feel calm and clear-headed, think back to the last time you and your partner had an argument or he or she yelled at you. If you were an observer looking in on this situation, what would you notice about how you usually act and react?

Be sure that you are taking responsibility for your share and not the entire dynamic. Recognizing your role does NOT mean that you take on the blame for your partner’s yelling, words or actions.

#2: Interrupt the usual pattern and try something different.

Once you have a better idea of what you usually do when your partner yells (or even before he or she yells), you can start to catch yourself sooner when you do the things that feed into the contentious situation.

When you notice your own voice starting to rise or feel yourself closing down and becoming silent– or whatever it is that you do– then you can interrupt yourself mid-stream. You can stop before the tension escalates and the yelling starts (or continues).

As you do this, you can also try some new responses to your partner’s yelling or hostility.

#3: Remember to breathe.

As mundane as it sounds, remembering to breathe in the middle of a tense or argumentative moment can make a big difference.

What often happens when a person feels threatened or tense is that he or she breathes more shallowly and quickly or even holds the breath. As a result, the entire physiological system becomes tighter, adrenaline races and there is a greater chance that the person will react instead of respond to whatever it going on.

The reaction is often to fight, flee or freeze. These are life-saving reactions in certain situations, but they are never conducive to connecting communication.

Remind yourself to breathe and to slow and deepen your breathing at all times– especially when you and your partner are in conflict or there is yelling.

#4: Expect to be respected and heard.

Expectations are powerful. We expect that the sun will rise and then set each day. We expect that our cars will transport us from one place to another.

And, over time, we develop expectations about ourselves and our partner.

You might have an expectation that your mate will yell and scream at you when you make a mistake or somehow disappoint him or her. You may expect that your partner will either ignore or fail to understand what you are trying to say.

Expectations are neither good nor bad, but they do have a strong influence on how we react to situations that come up.

If you’re about to talk with your partner about an difficult issue and he or she has a history of yelling at you, it’s likely that you’ll approach this conversations expecting to be yelled at or for a fight to ensue.

There may be a long history to support your expectations or perhaps a few stand-out memories have caused you to believe that your partner will shout at you or fail to understand you.

Be wise and aware, but also be sure you are responding to what’s going on in the present moment instead of reacting from the past and your expectations.

#5: Create agreements and set boundaries.

When the two of you are calm, request that he or she come up with some agreements with you about how you will communicate with one another.

The key to creating agreements that will really bring improvement is to make sure you both feel free to be honest and realistic as you make them. An ultimatum is NOT an agreement. Once you have found words for an agreement that you both are okay with, make sure you each have the same understanding of it.

There are times when setting a boundary is also called for. If your partner refuses to create (or follow) agreements with you, it might be time for you to make clear what you will and will not allow.

This requires you to affirm to yourself the kind of respect and interaction that you want in your relationship and then to stand behind that.

Susie and Otto Collins are relationship coaches and authors who help couples communicate, connect and create the passionate relationships they desire. They have written these e-books and programs: Magic Relationship Words, Relationship Trust Turnaround, No More Jealousy and Stop Talking on Eggshells, among many others.

 

Successful Relationships Don’t Walk A Straight Line

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By Ayize Ma’at

If you look at any successful relationships and really study it…you will be amazed at how sophisticated, complex, structured, clean, and ……DIRTY their relationship has been.  I intentionally highlighted dirty because folks have a general misunderstanding of what real love looks like.  Yes it’s pretty as hell….but that beautiful diamond you’re looking at initially had a whole bunch of dirt on it that had to be cleaned off.  The unfortunate thing about most people in relationships is that they’re unwilling to dig to find the diamond….and once found they are unwilling to deal with the DIRT!!!.

Come on yall….you can’t shine bright like a diamond if you are unwilling to get cut.

For INDIVIDUAL OR COUPLES THERAPY with Ayize and Aiyana Ma’at

CLICK HERE

The Gracious Wife Versus The Sarcastic Wife. Which One Are You?

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By Heather Marshall

I don’t know about you, but I HATE sarcasm.

Okay, okay, I know that there are times when it is funny, and even somewhat appropriate (like when my husband hikes his pants all the way up to his chest and runs around the house like that, and I say, “Oooh, that’s sexy!” …definite sarcasm there). Most times, however, sarcasm does not have happy results, even if the receiver does not “seem” hurt, offended, or angry.

Picture this: Your husband comes home from work a little late, and you make a sarcastic comment on his timing as he walks through the door. He flops on the couch, exhausted from work, as you finish making dinner. You observe him relaxing while you’re working hard to get dinner done and the table set. Insert sarcastic comment about how helpful he’s being. After dinner, he helps clear the table. Insert another sarcastic comment about how helpful he’s being, assuming he’s only helping because of your first comment. How do you think your husband is feeling at this point? Encouraged and uplifted? Or discouraged and defeated?

Does this seem like your home? Your relationship with your husband? You may think your comments are funny, and he may even laugh… but picture your sarcasm acting like a game of Jenga: the longer it goes on, the wobblier your marriage will be, until it (or your husband) collapses.

Ready for another word picture? Picture a sand castle being meticulously built on the beach next to the beautiful ocean. You can build it high, sculpt it perfectly, and decorate it beautifully… but gradually, as the tide comes in, the water will eat away the foundation of your castle, and it will crumble and fall. Your sarcasm acts like that water, eating away at your marriage until it destroys it.

Sarcasm is THAT dangerous.

Why? Because, all too often, truth is hidden in sarcastic barbs. If, deep down (or not so deep down even!), you think your husband is a loser, the things you sarcastically say will show your true feelings. Hurt by something your husband said to you? Sarcasm is often the retaliation. It seems “safer” than an all-out confrontation, but it is not! It can cause a deep wound to your husband, and over time that wound can either harden his heart toward you, cause a rift in your marriage that is difficult to mend, or fester and infect him with bitterness toward you.

Sarcasm demeans your husband, shows the lack of respect you have for him, and is the opposite of a gracious wife!

Perhaps sarcasm is part of “who you are,” part of your “sense of humor.” I’d like for you to evaluate why exactly you enjoy using sarcasm, and make sure that you are not hurting or demeaning others through your sarcasm. I decided long ago that sarcasm was unbecoming of a Godly (or striving to be Godly) woman, and a sarcastic woman was NOT what I wanted to be. I had to evaluate what I was saying, and how I was saying it.

Here are some questions to ask yourself the next time you feel a sarcastic comment coming on:

Who will benefit from me saying this? Will it uplift and encourage anyone? Will it bring joy or laughter to someone else? (see #2 if this last answer is a “yes”)

Will anyone be demeaned, offended, insulted, singled out, made to feel uncomfortable, or made fun of? Will the comment be at the expense of another person, even if they are not present in the room? (If yes, it’s not worth it to say it!!)

What are my motives? Am I saying this to draw attention to myself, even if it’s to my own flaws? Am I trying to get someone to notice how much I’m doing, or how much they are NOT doing?

What am I REALLY trying to say? Am I trying to get my hurt feelings assuaged or noticed? Am I trying to get help in a particular area?

How will the recipient of my sarcasm receive it? Did you recently have a fight, and a sarcastic comment will be like throwing salt in an open wound? Has he had a bad day, and one negative comment from you will push him over the edge?

IS IT NECESSARY? Sometimes, you won’t know the answer to the above questions. You might think everything is fine, throw out a few zingers, and it could be the worst thing you’ve ever done. You JUST DON’T ALWAYS KNOW. Therefore…. if your sarcasm is not necessary, just don’t say it!! You might not be known as the funniest girl at the party, but at least you won’t leave a trail of hurt feelings behind you.

Shall we strive to knock sarcasm out of our lives? Shall we strive to break that habit? Let’s strive to be Gracious Wives, who lift up and encourage our husbands, not tear them down with our sarcasm.

My name is Heather Marshall, and I am…a striving wife…29 years old…married to my best friend…a born-again Christian…a former high school science teacher…a cancer survivor…the youngest of three kids…a wife, a mom, a daughter, a sister, and a friend…often insecure in my body, but always secure in my God…an avid reader…in youth ministry &…growing in Christ. Visit Heather at www.thestrivingwife.com

 

Simply Ask For What You Want In Your Relationship

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By Jake and Hannah Eagle

Do you get what you want from your partner? Some of the time . . . most of the time . . . all of the time? Most people I listen to complain that they don’t get what they want from their partner—at least not enough of the time to be deeply satisfied.

There’s a reason why. And there’s a simple and effective solution.
When I ask, “Are you getting what you want,” I’m not asking about material things; I’m asking you about being treated the ways you want to be treated? Does your partner treat you the way you want to be treated?

And, to begin, you need to know how you want to be treated.

In a small group survey, I asked twenty people, “Does your partner treat you the way you want to be treated?” People didn’t answer with a simple “yes” or “no.” They told me stories. Seventeen out of twenty stories were about what people weren’t getting.

“My partner doesn’t say ‘I love you’ nearly as often as I’d like to hear it.”

“He lapses into periods of being unconscious or unaware and when that happens I certainly don’t get what I want.”

“My partner doesn’t like to initiate sexual relations, which is really a drag for me.”

“What I really want is acceptance, and my partner seldom gives that to me, because she’s focused on what’s not good enough.”

“He can’t seem to acknowledge me for the way I do things because I always do things in ways that are very different from how he would do them. He’s never satisfied with what I do.”

Take a look at the comments above and see if you notice anything.

Do you notice that what people talk about is what they don’t get. And this is incredibly common. People complain about what they don’t get instead of asking for what they want. If you do this, if you complain about what you don’t get—I have two things to say to you:

You’re really stupid to keep complaining about what you don’t get.
Notice how you respond to that comment. Because I’m doing to you what a lot of people do with their partners. I’m just complaining. And notice how you respond to this. Most people get defensive, shut down, step back, or argue. None of which help you get what you want.

The second thing I want to say is:

I wish you would just ask for what you want.
My second response is me making a simple request. Notice how you feel when you hear that. Very different isn’t it?

So why don’t people just ask for what they want instead of complaining about what they don’t get?

We want to believe the other person can read our minds, and if they could we wouldn’t haven’t to ask for what we want.
We want to punish the other person for not giving us what we want. Hard to admit, but it’s true.
We want to avoid being vulnerable, opening up and asking for what we want.

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Secrets Are Common Even In The Most Open Relationships

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By Susan Krauss Whitbourne, Ph.D.

Not everyone feels completely comfortable engaging in self-disclosure, even to the people we hold most dear. Early in a relationship it seems particularly difficult to know just how much to reveal to the other person. However, you would think that by the time a couple gets really close to each other, they’d be unlikely to hold back in the sharing department.

Intrigued by the question of who keeps secrets, and why, University of Tennessee psychologist Beth Easterling teamed up with her colleagues from East Carolina University (2012) to find out specifically whether sexual orientation might influence the level of disclosure in close relationships. They reasoned that people in same-sex relationships spend more of their lives keeping their sexual orientations a secret to avoid the prejudice and discrimination they might face if they disclosed the truth to others. Therefore, they would carry this tendency to hide things even once they were in a relationship in which they felt comfortable with their partner.

There’s surprisingly little research on secret-keeping in relationships, so in addition to informing us about the role of sexual orientation in this phenomenon, Easterling et al.’s study sheds light on the issue in general.  In essence, the data from Easterling and her colleagues confirm the notion that secret-keeping becomes a basic way of relating to others among people who keep to themselves about their sexual orientation. A lifetime of living in the closet, as it were, makes a person naturally reticent to share openly to someone else, even a close relationship partner. However, also to emerge from this study were some, shall we say, revealing facts about who else keeps their partners in the dark.

Of course, there are secrets and then there are “secrets.” You might not admit to even your closest friend on the planet, much less your relationship partner, how much time you waste playing online games, scouring the sale racks of your local outlet stores, or reading pulp fiction. You might even hide the fact that you don’t cook your partner’s favorite brownie recipe from scratch but instead use a mix. These seem like innocent enough little lapses especially if you don’t allow them to interfere with your time together. Assuming that this is not the case, then such relatively minor foibles wouldn’t be considered “secrets.” According to Easterling and her colleagues, a secret is a secret in a relationship if it “directly affects or concerns the individual but is withheld from the partner” (p. 198).

An obviously example of such a relationship secret might be not telling your partner that you were once married or, worse, still are. Apart from this extreme, other examples of relationship secrets would concern your family (a siblingcommitted suicide) or your own past life (you were abused as a teenager). Secrets about finances would also qualify as relationship secrets if, for example, you have a huge unpaid debt or, conversely, a secret bank acount that you use to pay for things you don’t want your partner to know about.

The participants in the Easterling et al. study completed an online survey about themselves, their relationships, and their secrets. They ranged in age from 16 to 72 (with the average at 20 years old).  Three-quarters were female, about the same percent was heterosexual, and only one-third weren’t in a married or serious relationship.

In general, a large majority (60%) of the sample admitted to keeping at least one secret from their partners at some point in life, and one-quarter said they were keeping a secret right now. On a relationship secret scale ranging from 0 to 355 (based on number and frequency of secrets), the average score was 217.  Apparently, there are important secrets that people do keep from their partners, though not everyone does so to the same extent.

CLICK HERE to read more.