We all know the old cliché; money doesn’t buy happiness. But according to a new study it actually does come pretty darn close.
Researchers from Cornell University have found that our earnings play a huge role in the success of our relationships, with those who have similar salaries more likely to find lasting love.
“Equality appears to promote stability,” explained doctoral fellow and the study’s lead author Patrick Ishizuka. “Equality in men’s and women’s economic contributions may hold these couples together.”
Ishizuka puts this down to a simple theory called ‘the marriage bar’ which says the closer two people are to reaching the economic standards associated with getting hitched (like having enough dosh for a down payment on a house) the more likely they are to do so.
“Once couples have reached a certain income and wealth threshold, they’re more likely to marry,” he said. “They want to have a house and a car and enough savings to have a big wedding, and they also want to have stable jobs and a steady income.”
In turn, when one person earns more than their partner, it can affect the power dynamics and lead to dissatisfaction down the track.
“The classic understanding of the power differential couples is… the person with more money in the relationship has the power,” psychotherapist Marlin Potash told CNN. “The person who earns less can end up feeling their wishes and needs aren’t as important and don’t matter as much.”
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