Man Robs Bank To Escape Wife
Lawrence Ripple entered the bank and gave the teller a note that said, “I have a gun, give me money.” Ripple didn't have a gun, and strangely, he didn't actually want the money. After the teller handed over $3,000 in cash, Ripple sat down in the lobby and waited for the cops to come. This didn't take long since Ripple chose a bank with a police station on the same block.
When the cops arrived, he was arrested and soon confessed his real motive. He had had an argument with his wife, and he was fed up. He told his wife he couldn't take it anymore and would rather be in jail. Ripple even wrote the bank robbery note in front of his wife before heading to the bank.
While it's probably too late for Ripple and his wife, researchers at the University of Georgia say the secret to weathering the ups and downs of marriage are two little words: thank you. They asked 468 married people about the sources of common marital stress as well as expressions of gratitude. They found that how often married people expressed appreciation for their partner was the key to a long and successful marriage. And they found that it was far more important than how often couples argue. In fact, they think that appreciation allows people to weather the stress that is inevitable in all relationships. According to Ted Futris, “What distinguishes the marriages that last from those that don't is not how often they argue, but how they argue and how they treat each other on a daily basis.”
Interestingly, the study focuses on ‘expressions’ of gratitude. Feeling grateful isn't enough. You need to express it. Expressing appreciation regularly through saying ‘thank you’ and giving compliments doesn't come naturally to everyone. The good news, according to other research, is that gratitude is something that can be cultivated. One study asked people to keep daily journals recording their appreciation for their partner. This act of recording increased the level of appreciation they felt and the frequency that they expressed that appreciation to their partner.