“Perpetual Discontent” - From the "Best of Dr. Kim"
Last week I talked to you about “hyperreality” and how it affects us and our relationships. I think this “hyperreality” eventually results in “perpetual discontent” for many of us. We set ourselves up by seeking a reality that is “hyper” and when we do not find it we become discontent. For many it becomes a cycle that repeats itself again and again.Let’s put this in the context of relationships. A person has this “hyperreality” of what a relationship should be that is based on how their culture defines a good relationship. The movies can tell us that a couple should live happily ever after. For most of us that means no disagreements, a perfect sex life, and no hardships. That is “hyperreality.” When it does not happen that way, we are discontent. It was not what we thought it would be. In my opinion, this has been the death of many marriages.
Reality is that couples do argue, sex is not always perfect, and everyone endures hardships. These are facts of life and of marriages. But that does not mean that marriages cannot be good - even great. The key is not avoiding these things. The key is how we deal with them as a couple.
What areas of “perpetual discontent” do you see in relationships / marriages?