4 STEPS to a THRIVING Relationship: Why 80% of Relationships END (How to Repair Love!)

Our misguided beliefs about love and relationships can be detrimental to our happiness. Couples therapist Esther Perel says we need to rethink how we define love and what we expect from our partners.

What qualities does a “real man” display? Are men who play the role of a strong protector and provider a relic from the past—or even toxic and dangerous? Popular blogger and podcaster Rollo Tomassi says no.

In The Rational Male, Tomassi explains that men need to resist women’s calls to be nicer, gentler, and more emotional. Trying to be more like women will only keep men subjugated to a feminine agenda. Instead, men must reclaim their masculinity to achieve the freedom, confidence, and success they want.

In this guide, we’ll review Tomassi’s interpretations of what drives men and women—and the lies behind the feminine agenda that, according to Tomassi, allow women to manipulate men. We’ll also examine research in biology, sociology, and psychology that explores the concepts Tomassi mentions.

We all have a deep-rooted need to be loved, but often a rift opens between our romantic partners and ourselves. Why does this happen, and can anything be done?

In Getting the Love You Want, Harville Hendrix and Helen LaKelly Hunt suggest that we unconsciously seek out romantic partners to help us resolve unfinished business from our childhood. When our partners fail to meet our unconscious expectations, our relationships fall apart. To prevent this, Hendrix and Hunt designed a process to change the way couples interact, allowing them to learn about their unconscious needs and to transform their lives into a conscious, loving union.

This guide will explore the psychological principles that affect how we relate to those closest to us, what science and relationship experts reveal about how our childhoods shape our adult lives, and how a struggling couple can learn to talk to each other, heal, and grow. We’ll also examine how the authors’ approach compares to other methods of couples therapy and to the ideas of other relationship experts.

What’s the key to a happy relationship? In Attached, psychiatrist Dr. Amir Levine and psychologist Rachel Heller argue that the secret is understanding attachment styles: the different ways that people express and perceive romantic intimacy.

In this guide, you’ll learn what attachment styles are and how you can use your knowledge of them to find a good relationship—or improve the one you already have. You’ll also discover the hidden dynamics that play a starring role in your relationship conflicts, even if you’re just fighting about who’ll make dinner. Along the way, you’ll also discover the latest research regarding attachment and discover practical tips from other psychologists so you can have the best relationship possible.

Whether you're a man seeking to understand your partner better or a woman wanting to provide your partner with a resource for understanding you, The Man's Guide to Women is a practical guide to navigate the complexities of female psychology. Renowned relationship experts John Gottman and Julie Schwartz Gottman, together with Doug Abrams and Rachel Carlton Abrams, employ scientific research, real-life examples, and years of clinical experience to demystify the intricacies of women's inner world.

From dating to sex to marriage, this guide equips men with the tools to initiate, build, and sustain a successful and mutually fulfilling relationship. We’ll supplement the authors’ advice with a range of perspectives on psychology, gender, love, and marriage from authors like Esther Perel (Mating in Captivity), Ian Kerner (She Comes First), and Rollo Tomassi (The Rational Male).

In Codependent No More, Melody Beattie explores codependency and how it affects people’s lives. A self-help classic and the book that inspired codependency 12 Step Programs around the country, Codependent No More provides explanations, advice, and compassion for people struggling with codependency.

In this guide, we’ll explore Beattie’s main principles, including detachment, self-care, and personal responsibility. We’ll compare Beattie’s ideas with other relationship perspectives, such as the positive view of attachment presented in Attached by Amir Levine and Rachel Heller. Finally, we’ll supplement Beattie’s advice with that of modern psychologists and self-help experts, providing concrete steps for you to start living for yourself again.

People tend to strive for self-improvement and personal goals—but it’s the community you build that’s most important to your health and happiness.

Do you feel like the job market is changing faster than ever? Does job stability seem like a thing of the past? In The Startup of You, LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman and entrepreneur Ben Casnocha argue that to build a successful career in the modern world, you must approach your career as if it were a startup company—something that’s always growing and adapting. By applying principles of entrepreneurship to your career, you can overcome unexpected career obstacles and react quickly to opportunities.

In this guide, you'll learn about the changes to modern work and how to approach your career as if it were a startup company using three entrepreneurship tactics. We’ll supplement Hoffman and Casnocha’s strategies with those of other business professionals and provide suggestions on how to apply their strategies to your career.

What’s the secret to having a good life?

Many of us believe that our happiness depends on how successful we are in our careers. But in The Good Life (2023), psychiatrist Robert Waldinger and psychologist Marc Schulz argue that the key to a good life is to cultivate good relationships. They base this conclusion on what they’ve learned from hundreds of people while directing the world’s longest-running longitudinal research study on how adults develop.

In this guide, we’ll define what a good life is and how to evaluate the current quality of your relationships. We’ll also share Waldinger and Schulz’s tips on how to improve your relationships with your spouse, family, coworkers, and friends. Along the way, we’ll share what other authors and psychologists have to say about Waldinger and Schulz’s findings.

Western culture is steeped in individualism, the worldview that encourages you to pursue individual happiness and prizes personal freedom as the highest societal good. But, according to cultural commentator David Brooks, this individualist worldview breeds selfishness and deprives your life of greater meaning. Consequently, he argues that you should embrace relationalism—the worldview that prioritizes selflessness and service to others—to lead a deeply fulfilling life.

In his 2019 book, The Second Mountain, Brooks details his own experiences to explain why the relationalist approach to life is more satisfying than its individualist counterpart. Along the way, he outlines the four commitments that are crucial to relationalism—your vocation, marriage, community, and belief system—and provides actionable steps to making these commitments.

In this guide, we’ll discuss Brooks’s distinction between individualism and relationalism, followed by a foray into the four commitments that constitute relationalist living. Throughout the guide, we’ll also discuss additional strategies for making Brooks’s commitments and examine counterarguments about the importance of these commitments.

Whether you're a man seeking to understand your partner better or a woman wanting to provide your partner with a resource for understanding you, The Man's Guide to Women is a practical guide to navigate the complexities of female psychology. Renowned relationship experts John Gottman and Julie Schwartz Gottman, together with Doug Abrams and Rachel Carlton Abrams, employ scientific research, real-life examples, and years of clinical experience to demystify the intricacies of women's inner world.

From dating to sex to marriage, this guide equips men with the tools to initiate, build, and sustain a successful and mutually fulfilling relationship. We’ll supplement the authors’ advice with a range of perspectives on psychology, gender, love, and marriage from authors like Esther Perel (Mating in Captivity), Ian Kerner (She Comes First), and Rollo Tomassi (The Rational Male).

Our misguided beliefs about love and relationships can be detrimental to our happiness. Couples therapist Esther Perel says we need to rethink how we define love and what we expect from our partners.