Misery: the secret to happiness?

From the BBC

The key to a happy relationship could be accepting that some miserable times are unavoidable, experts say.

Therapists from California State University, Fresno and Virginia Tech say accepting these problems is better than striving for perfection.

And they blame cultural fairytales and modern love stories for perpetuating the myth that enjoying a perfect relationship is possible.

The report was published in the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy.

The pursuit of relationship nirvana can be potentially damaging Jan Parker

The authors, Dr Diane Gehart and Dr Eric McCollum say it is a "myth that, with enough effort we can achieve a state without suffering.

The pursuit of any nirvana, if by which you mean perfection in this world, can be damaging. Sound familiar? This is the First Noble Truth, that all the discomfort in life is ultimately unavoidable and that running away form this causes even more suffering.

For more on the noble truths see:

The Feeling Buddha

David Brazier