A mathematical formula for the perfect wife?
The report published in The Telegraph talks about a team from the Geneva School of Business that found that this formula. The study shows that, if adhered to, the formula would increase a couple's chances of a long and happy marriage by 20%.
The academic study, published in the European Journal of Operational Research looked at 1,074 couples aged between 19 and 75 years, to find which social factors were most important to a long and happy relationship.
Besides the man being five years older than his bride, and that his bride should share the same heritage, they concluded that a wife should be at least 27% more intelligent than her husband. She should also hold a degree, while he should not.
The academics found that marrying a divorcee reduced the chance of wedded bliss.
Nguyen Vi Cao, who led the research, promised: "If people follow these guidelines in choosing their partners they can increase their chances of a happy, long marriage by up to 20 per cent."
Kate Figes, who interviewed 120 people for her recent book on understanding relationship, Couples, said: "Aren't most women the more intelligent in a relationship anyway? That's my first reaction.
"It's the only finding that rings true, from what I've found. Because it's women who tend to determine the emotional landscape of a relationship," she said.
"So I don't find it surprising that women should be more intelligent."
However, she warned that men should not stop making an effort.
"Intelligent men understand that for a relationship to be happy, their partner has to be happy," she said.
Linda Blair, the clinical psychologist and author of Straight Talking, said: "Going back to prehistory, women have needed to invest more in relationships than men, because men are more biologically adapted to spread their seed around."
They were therefore more likely to invest their intellectual abilities in maintaining that bond, she added.
"But you can convince yourself of anything," she added.
However, Christine Northam, a marriage counsellor for Relate, said dismissively of the findings: "There are lies, lies and statistics."
She could not agree that wives should be more intelligent than their husbands.
"Modern marriage is about both of you having an input in the relationship," said Mrs Northam, who has been married for 41 years.
"It's about teamwork. It's not about one being dominant over the other."
COMMENTS (58)
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There is an old 1960's song that says," If you want to be happy for the rest of your life never make a pretty woman your wife, cause from a personal point of view, get an ugly girl to marry you!"
The cute ones cheat, flirt and get upset when their looks fade, then your left dealing with an aging beauty queen and those are some crazy people!
@JD: What becomes of your successful marriage when the lady you love ages into an old hag will you desert her in her needy years?
I am now a woman of 52 and each time I tried life with an older man (since my 20's) they were too boring and made me feel old before my time. I finally found my soulmate in 1987, he is 5 years younger then me and we have a very solid and happy bond. Young women are not still enough in their minds usually to commit to a serious lifelong relationship, they naturally require attention and that can lead to flirting and often adultery.
Math has absolutely nothing to do with happiness or finding your true love.
What a trash!! Couldn't the business school use its resources for some useful purpose? A real bad business decision by a school teaching business.
This is all Crap... There is only 1 Rule.....
THE SUCCESS OF THE MARRIAGE IS DIRECTLY PROPORTIONAL TO THE HOTNESS OF THE WIFE PERIOD
@kimz: dont twist the things. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) only said (in some context), marry within the same age so that you can enjoy the relationship a bit more (not just physical satisfaction).
And someone here was very right that we should not enter religion everywhere.
Please this research not a perfect solution for the life. This research is only applicable in society where research have been conducted not in an alien society. western society is totally different then eastern society. Even if we look in Pakistan every province got different approach on marriage issues. therefore it entirely wrong if we adopt a research conducted by western world on the western people . It is an open secret that man and woman with equal education , status , and back ground will be comfortable to spent their lives then an unequal status wether educational , social or economical. Age difference is not playing a vital role in marriage relationship but same age people have equal opportunities to understand the surroundings because they both belong to same generation . after all marriage is the merger of two entities therefore ups and down will come and go.
Such results cannot be generalized. The study has a very local and short sample.
very good research but some of the points are true only for america not for the whole world.
okay, i'll be on the lookout for old, dumb paindoos.
Not applicable in Pakistan.Here even if a wife is 100% intelligent than man he would find a way to suppress and intimidate her with his chauvinism.
The beauty of relationships is that we accept each other with all the flaws that we have :) If you are planning to marry a flawless person then "good luck" as there is no such thing as a "flawless, mr/miss perfect" in the real world. Cheers
Lies,lies and damn statistics. While quoting a hadith pl quote the source ,if possible. The holy prophet PBUH first married to a woman 15 yrs his senior and last marriage to a much younger (48 years) . Age has a little to do with successful marriage.
@sameer: I don't say that the people of subcontinent are obeying islam,but in the past whole the east was obeying islam.So the effects are preset even in this era, while in west it was not practiced efficiently.
this was such crap!
its all abt trust and understanding with flexibility
@Saima: There might be some reasons when you have said that its a bogus resarch, but research is research and does not say that it represent all casts of the society.
@Shakir azeem:
i think its more to do with the culture of subcontinent than religion , even in India, Nepal etc marriages work, whereas their the majority doesn't follow islam
@Mohammed Maqbool khan:
10- 15 years younger :P lolz.... i pity you would think the same for your daughters also :P
@Umer Toor:
WHAT ? "...we should marry young spouse of our age so that we should play with our spouse"
lol.. Wives are not toys :P they are not only married for physical satisfaction we need to change this mentality
plz think before you write
@Muddassar:
lol .. that 40 and 25 thing was an exception - there was other case also when wives of prophet were younger than him. the research states that this is the ideal case if female is 5 years younger , but surely its not the definitive law
@Chilli:
Excuse me Chilli , stop bringing religion into everything and by the way most of the people in west are not muslims , so stop being over-suggestive :P
@Fahad Raza:
lol at ur hidden prejudices against West :P
@Umer Toor: I think we should not bring religion here Toor, if we see Prophet Muhammad he also married a women who was 15 years ( His first wife) older than him. so there is contradiction in your quotation.
and what about chemistry :)
I believe its respect and fulfilling each others rights as prescribed to us Quran and Sunnah, that make a marriage work.
@Robert: Spreading the truth is a revolutionary idea in this era
Hah, I couldn't even get a genuine laugh out of this. So bogus.
Oh God, why do you people start to preach Quran everywhere! I think the age difference is always good.
Yes we can say that on average people this research can be applied and can be true. Bus in exceptional circumstances so many people compeltly from different cultural backrounds happily live togather. Human is so much dynamic in nature so this research may work for some limited area but very very difficult to see this applicable gloably. But at the end I would like to suggest all the men and women that unless there is some kind of exception please try to adopt the principle less female and greater male age. It helps a lot on pschy, culture and family.
i m not agree with this research.this is by human but we have more authentic guidelines by our ALLAH and prophet.no age limits and financial situations are required.the only things are required are the character of both man woman.
I think successful marriage depends upon the person's nature rather than the age. Except for the age factor, I think other points are ok type.
People in eastern countries are more successful in making family relations then the western countries because of the rules received by the Creator in the shape of a book(Quran) and thease rules were practiced by the Holy prophet(SAW).So in this concern also we should not follow the western reasurches.So i totally agree with "Read Quran and find exact definition........"
okay!..you lost me at 27% more intelligent..so tell me...how...or more importantly...where does one go to gauge the intelligence of the bride...? :s.....
@Billoo Bhaya: You ask: Are there any women in Pakistan like Demi Moore? No. Either they have been shot, stoned to death or have left the country. But don't lose hope. If things change in perhaps a hundred years, and you live long enough, you still might have a chance. ;)
@Aasif..Haha!!
i think man and woman msut be age differencs approx 10 to 15 years but if its not must be five years difference
The reasons everyone is commenting is because it's so easy, you don't have to register. :)
what a creep!,can anyone explain what is meant by playing with ones wife?
I have read many researches as they say's man with big belly are good enough on bed :P And men with Fat and Chubby look got more salary then normal and fit men. LOL