TOO MANY PITFALLS

Evening Star, Issue 25994, 8 January 1947, Page 5

TOO MANY PITFALLS

NO IDEALJHIAGES “AT BEST A CONFLICT" SOME GYHICAL CRITICISM. (Rec. 1.30 p.m.) LONDON, Jan. 7. There is no such thing as an ideal marriage, in the opinion of Dr Reginald Pestell, secretary of the Marriage Guidance Council. He stated: “ I question very seriously whether we ever reach perfection in this life, and it is problematical whether any two people ever reach that state of perfection in the marriage relationship.” Other points he made were:— “ Marriage at its best and worst is a conflict between two opposing forces —affinities on one side against hostilities on the other., “ Success in marriage depends on two people being able to retain and maintain their individual personalities, and at the same time make adjustments. “There would be fewer, marriage problems if couples would take a more serious view of the engagement period, and get to know one another'better before marriage.” Dr Pestell added that 40 per cent, of marriages in Britain broke down because of medical and psychological causes, and 60 per cent, tor economic and social -reasons. The causes of failure included dishonesty, deception, lack of understanding about property, and work responsibilities. “ NOT SO MYSTERIOUS;” Women and marriage were also referred to by Dr C. E. M. Joad) Addressing schoolboys at their own exhibition at Westminster, he- said : “ One day when you grow up you will meet another kind of creature, called women. They are not so mysterious as they were. When I was a boy they were so covered up I thought all women were solid down to the ankles, where they outbranched into a pair of feet. You will almost certainly marry one of them, and what you will find is that she won’t approve of you being an adventurer, a pioneer, or an experimenter, because the income is precarious and she will want to know who is going to look after feeding herself and her babies.” “ The absurdity of our divorce laws,” Dr Joad said, “ is that if both parties want a divorce that is a sufficient reason for not granting it.” Efforts to get round this meant risk of inquiries by the King’s Proctor and collusion charges. '