Contempt is the sulfuric acid of love.
This observation by John Gottman—from "The Calculus of Love", Science News, Vol 165, No. 9, 28 Feb 2004, p. 142—is what leapt to my mind when I read Michael Hyatt's essay, Why Speaking Well of Your Spouse Is So Important. It's a short article, in which he briefly fleshes out the following points:
- You Get More of What You Affirm
- Affirmation Shifts Your Attitude
- Affirmation Strengthens Your Spouse’s Best Qualities
- Affirmation Wards off Temptation
- Affirmation Provides a Model to Those You Lead
Simple, powerful, difficult, and important in much more than the marital relationship. With our children, on the job, with our neighbors, in politics, on social media. Contempt is the sulfuric acid of love.