50% of marriages end in divorce, right?

Well, no: the stat is wrong. And more importantly, it distorts how we see relationships, undermines our sense of agency, and obscures what’s actually happening.

The idea dates back to the divorce spike of the ’70s and ’80s. Legal reforms in the UK and the U.S. fueled a surge in divorce; the numbers rose dramatically, and commentators noticed. If divorce rates kept rising, half of all marriages would end. That was the claim.

But it didn't happen - and believing that relationships are simply a toss of a coin undermines how much effort people put in.

So in what mindset should you approach relationships instead? How do you ensure they have lasting success?

Matt and Graham explore the messy territory of divorce, co-habiting, break-ups and relationship success in today's episode.

The Psychology Today blog they discuss is available here:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/get-some-help/202506/the-one-statistic-everyone-misunderstands-about-divorce