Of laughter and marriage

Teasing is good for your relationship! That, at least, is what recent studies suggest. Researchers have discovered that married couples who have a lot of nicknames for one another are happier. In fact, teasing has been shown to help even during fights. This goes against the conventional wisdom of couples therapy, which often insists on discussing things in the most earnest tones imaginable. These findings go to the heart of one of the great paradoxes of relationships. Although they are incredibly important and serious, they do better when we treat them with a certain amount of playfulness. People always talk about working on a relationship, but that is often the wrong approach. When you think it's time to work on the relationship, that probably means it's time to play.