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Does the number of stories or adventures experienced before finding the right person have an impact on the success of a marriage? Yes, says an American professor of family sociology. And the result may not be what you expect.
Do you have to have “lived well” in your past to achieve happiness with just one person, the one you have chosen for life? If popular advice often goes in this direction (it would be better to gain a little experience to choose the right person), a study carried out on 30 years of data would prove the opposite: people who have only known one partner before marriage would be the most fulfilled.
Only one partner before marriage, a fact common to many happy couples
It was Nicholas H. Wolfinger, professor at the University of Utah, who uncovered these intriguing results. To find out, he relied on nearly three decades of Social Survey data to determine the links between sexual history (before marriage) and the quality of marriages. The academic thus discovered “that the many Americans who report having had a lifelong sexual partner have the happiest marriages“.
Research further suggests that once past a partner, the number of sexual partners has no significant impact: any number beyond this figure has diminishing effects on marital quality.
Furthermore, according to his observations, this phenomenon does not seem to be significantly influenced by variables such as religious attendance, socio-economic status or even the age of the bride and groom.
Review your beliefs about the sexual experience
This observational study is not intended to predict the success of your next marriage, or to judge you, so it doesn’t matter if you have had more than one partner in your past life. Nevertheless, it is interesting for contradicting a preconceived idea according to which sexual experiences before marriage are expected for long-term marital happiness. According to the sociologist’s observations, happiness seems to be based more on a deep and nourished relationship than on a track record or a determining range of experiences.
At a time when the culture of meeting and the exploration of relationships is highlighted, it reminds us that a simple story can also bring you happiness and satisfaction.
Slide: 12 preconceived ideas about marriage