Rule to Break #2: Your Spouse Should Be Your Best Friend
People have friends and they have a spouse, says Scott Haltzman, Ph.D., a former Brown University professor and the author of The Secrets of Surviving Infidelity. “People expect a spouse to be everything,” Haltzman says. “They want their spouse to relate to them on a very close emotional basis, but relationships and studies show that while best-friend marriages do last, they sometimes have less satisfying sex lives.”
In addition to that, sometimes it's easier to talk to friends about certain things - and friends are generally less inclined to judge. Haltzman says Bill Cosby tells a joke about a time when his car broke down 20 miles from home. Cosby, according to Haltzman, calls his wife to tell her he’s stranded with the broken down car. She says, “I told you to fix it months ago!” He calls his best friend, who says, “Where are you? I’ll be right there.”
Of course you want to share activities, thoughts and feelings with your spouse, but one person can’t meet all of your needs, says Haltzman. So take the pressure off your relationship, and if your spouse doesn’t want to talk about emotional issues, or doesn’t want to do a certain activity, call a friend.