Maybe Our Divorces are a Sign of Personal Growth
We outgrow many other things, so why not our relationships?
By Dr T J Jordan
We love the myth about meeting someone who will be our one-and-only soulmate forever. When forever doesn't work, we think that we have failed in our relationships.
We are familiar with divorce statistics: the divorce rate hovers around 50%. The breakup rate for unmarried cohabiting couples is substantially higher.
The average length of marriage is 7 to 8 years. Now add to those facts the finding that a primary cause of divorce is "growing apart."
So, what do these facts tell us?
About Changes
We judge our relationship endings as strongly negative because we interpret those endings as personal failures. That interpretation stops us from recognizing the positive aspects of change.
Perhaps we have been missing the point that outgrowing our relationships can be a natural sign of human development, whether we are married, cohabiting, or otherwise connected. Perhaps we need to reconsider our relationship endings as a healthy part of personal…
