A recent study from America has found that when it comes to failing marriages, women are more likely to blame their spouse than men, but are also more likely to move on without regrets.
The study, by legal search company Avvo Inc, revealed that when asked who was responsible for the end of their marriage, 64% of divorced women blamed their spouse, compared to just 44% of men saying the same. More men than women say both spouses should share the blame, with 42% of men agreeing, and only 29% of women saying the same.
Attitudes about marriage as an institution may influence feelings about getting a divorce, say the researchers. When asked if they believed in the institution of marriage, 63% of women – versus 53% of men – said yes. The more weight one places on being married, the more intense the outward blame when the marriage doesn’t work out.
“As the saying goes, it takes two to tango and two to ruin a relationship, but women are less likely to take their share of the blame,” said sociologist Pepper Schwartz. “Gender roles and traditional stereotypes of domestic partnerships absolutely play a role here. It might be that women believe that self-blame is not empowering, and men may feel as though it’s not masculine to blame their wives.”
When it comes to having second thoughts, fewer women than men express regret over being divorced: 73% of women report having no regret over being divorced while 61% of men say the same. In addition, 75% of women say that’d rather be alone, successful and happy than be unhappy in a relationship overall, versus 58% of men believing the same.
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