A marriage can be the most beautiful relationship for any two people. After all it is the culmination of dreams that have been cherished for long. This beauty of married life, can however, be destroyed by careless words and actions.

Like all other relationships, marriage too has to be cultivated. It needs to be nurtured with love and care, compassion and understanding. A marriage can definitely impact a human being in the way that none other social institution can. In order to have this impact turn into a positive force, both partners have to avoid some simple behavioural patterns.

Both the married partners must avoid irritating and annoying habits. Similarly behaving in too individualistic a manner can also be detrimental to a healthy marriage. As marriage is a bond of trust, dishonesty can cut its very roots.

Habits: A habit can be either good or bad. It is all right to have habits but to be a slave to them is not at all appropriate. Unfortunately most of us tend to be slaves of, rather than masters of, our habits. Still more unfortunate is the situation where these habits are irritants to and annoying for those around us.

A habit can be anything. An obsession with cleanliness can be a habit too. Similarly one can have the habit of continually nagging one and all around him or her on any issue under the sun. These habits may seem cute to some, or initially; nevertheless if one is persistent with them then they can become a major irritant in the relationship.

One has to understand that our habits can be a source of nuisance for those around us. All this is especially important in the relationship of marriage. After getting married our lives do not belong to us alone. Our partners too have a right over them
It is the duty of one and all to see to it that these rights of the partner are not infringed in any way what so ever. If any one or more habits of an individual are becoming a source of irritant in the married life then all conceivable efforts should be made to get rid of that habit and lead a full and wholesome life.

Individuality: A marriage is a relationship of sharing. It is taken for granted that one will share all his or her sorrows and pains along with the joys of life with his or her partner. It is about sharing the same roof over the head, sharing the family and having relatives of the partner as your own.

Marriage also means sharing the same social circle. The friends of the spouse are to be treated as one’s own friends. All decisions, irrespective of the fact whether they are big or small, are also to be taken jointly. It is all about sharing of lives and all aspects and attributes of it.

If there is one thing that is definitely not a positive part and parcel of a marriage, then it is independent behaviour. This does not, under any circumstances, imply that a person should lose his or her individuality. It is simply that even as one retains the individuality, one is still sharing all aspects of life with the partner.

This can imply to important financial considerations for the family. It may also refer to which school the children are to be sent to. It may even be as to which friends circle to continue with and which to avoid. Individuality in such matters can be detrimental for a healthy married life.

Dishonesty: Truth and faith are the twin pillars of a happy married life. There is so much riding on the other partner that there is no scope for dishonesty in this relationship. If there are problems then lying about them to the partner is only going to aggravate the issue.

After all, the spouse is the one shoulder that one can rely upon. If one is dishonest with that one individual to whom he or she has committed himself or herself for life, then the whole idea of getting married can be questionable. Thus one should always be honest to one’s partner.