Forget sex: dirty dishes cause most couple fights
German couples fight not over sex or money but untidiness, a new survey has revealed. Nearly a third of people asked listed mess as their number one point of conflict.
According to an Emnid survey published in Auf einen Blick magazine, around 29 percent of the 1,006 people asked said that domestic disarray, such as clothes left on the floor and dirty dishes in the sink, was the main cause of strife in their relationship.
But there was no difference between the sexes – an equal number of men and women said that a messy house was most likely to provoke a row.
Chores were listed as the second most common argument trigger, as 22 percent of Germans said that taking out the bins or ironing was what they fought about with their partner the most.
There was a bigger split between genders over chores, as 7 percent more women said that chores were the main reason that they got angry with their other half.
Family-related issues came third on Auf einen Blick’s list, as 21 percent said irritating in-laws or sibling squabbles caused the most frequent fights. Amongst those between 30 and 50, this figure was around 27 percent while senior citizens and young lovers did not seem to be fazed as much by family.
Last on the list - at a mere 12 percent - was sex, or a lack thereof. Here, there were marginally more complaints among men.
Playboy magazine asked renowned Berlin-based author Wladimir Kaminer recently about how he handles arguing with his wife. His answer was wine: “Jesus didn’t just turn water into wine, but desperation too.”
“He taught us that water alone isn’t enough to make progress,” Kaminer reasoned.
The Local/jcw
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According to an Emnid survey published in Auf einen Blick magazine, around 29 percent of the 1,006 people asked said that domestic disarray, such as clothes left on the floor and dirty dishes in the sink, was the main cause of strife in their relationship.
But there was no difference between the sexes – an equal number of men and women said that a messy house was most likely to provoke a row.
Chores were listed as the second most common argument trigger, as 22 percent of Germans said that taking out the bins or ironing was what they fought about with their partner the most.
There was a bigger split between genders over chores, as 7 percent more women said that chores were the main reason that they got angry with their other half.
Family-related issues came third on Auf einen Blick’s list, as 21 percent said irritating in-laws or sibling squabbles caused the most frequent fights. Amongst those between 30 and 50, this figure was around 27 percent while senior citizens and young lovers did not seem to be fazed as much by family.
Last on the list - at a mere 12 percent - was sex, or a lack thereof. Here, there were marginally more complaints among men.
Playboy magazine asked renowned Berlin-based author Wladimir Kaminer recently about how he handles arguing with his wife. His answer was wine: “Jesus didn’t just turn water into wine, but desperation too.”
“He taught us that water alone isn’t enough to make progress,” Kaminer reasoned.
The Local/jcw
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