Are marriages like George and Amal Clooney’s rare?

[Lesighhh]

Saw an interview of them both released today talking about their marriage. They say they’ve never really had an argument and they’ve found marriage to be easy, in fact 'the easiest thing'. Amal says it’s 99% luck to meet the right person, and prior to meeting George at age 35 she didn’t think she’d find someone. They seem to have such love and mutual respect for each other. Is this kind of marriage the exception rather than the norm? Have they been extremely lucky or do many people have this?

Im always a bit sceptical about the we have the perfect marriage brigade. Often ends in a split.

Me and my late husband never really argued, we might haff the odd hump with one another but nothing serious. We never raised our vices to eachother and everything was talked about

What helped I think was I had a full time busy job and he was military so the time together was "special" and we didn't spend it arguing.

The space they have from one another probably helps.

Obvs no idea about the Amal-Clooney marriage, but himself & me are very happy and have a cross word maybe once every few years? But YES it does help not being short of money, short on sleep, being squeezed beyond your normal resources.

PS and we're coming up to 40 years together

Yeah this. ^ As I said, if you're rich and privileged, you're not as likely to have massive arguments. Most huge rows and marriage problems are caused by money - (or the lack of it rather...) !!!

DH and I never really argue. Maybe once or twice (and that’s since having a baby and being very sleep deprived!). We both have very similar values and see raising our family and work around the house as teamwork that just needs to get done. Living together for 8 years before marriage helped us to really know each other and getting married didn’t change anything.

Agree. ^ I have seen numerous couples over the years - famous AND not famous - who are seemingly perfect from the outside, and the more they get on and gush over one another, the more I suspect something is wrong. They very rarely stay together when they show a perfect marriage to the world.

20 plus years here and hardly a row. It's just not what we do. Shared values is my advice to anyone marrying.

I ignore all the crap about sham marriage and closeted gays you see on gossip sites, everyone is living a lie according to them.

I'm very happily married and so lucky. We argue, but less and less as the years have gone by. He has made me a better person, and he says he feels the same way. I think the arguments and working through them are partly the cause of that.

My sister, on the other hand, has been with her other half for years and years - they're also really happy but never seem to argue. I lived with them for a year and they really seemed blissfully matched and really respect each other.

I think different personalities work their marriages in different ways, is all - some never argue, but that's not the only way to be. Like I said, our arguments have made us understand each other so much more, and become better people for it.

He's gay no? Marriage of convenience, 100%. They both have a lot to bring to the table and each makes the other look good by association.

Cmon op. What do you think they are going to say. Lol.

One of the biggest things that causes arguments is money, they don't have that problem. They dont have to argue about petty chores and one of the benefits of being older is you dont have inlaws.

Me and DH rarely argue - little annoyances here and there but we don't have full blown rows.
Our marriage is easy, it's fun and we have a lot of love and respect for each other. We regularly thank our lucky stars that we found each other.

I saw that interview. I still believe their marriage is genuine. They are so privileged that they probably don't have the same issues that a lot of common folk do have. They have so much money : he has a good career and money coming in. she has a great career. they have children, they have a number of houses and possibly extra staff to help with cleaning etc. what pressures do they possibly have? why would they be arguing?

DH and I really argue, once or twice a year minor ones, and I actually believe that's healthy - we clear the air and get things out in the open.

But they seem completely besotted with each other, met each other later in life and like I say what is there to argue about?

Is their marriage still considered a sham? After 8 years?

I don’t want to offend anyone, I know I’m not in peoples lives and don’t know, but I am generally suspicious of the assertion that people don’t argue. I believe this may be true, but I think there must be a whole lot of repressed anger and frustrations going on that impact people in other ways, physical tension or ill health for example. Because it is a normal response to get frustrated on occasion when things don’t go your way, and relationships are all about things not going your way because the other peoples needs and wishes are often different. Maybe I’m just an angry psycho but I’d wager that in most couples with no arguing, there are a lot of unsaid things going on.

That's not an interview, that's a press release.

Which naturally makes a cynical type wonder (a) how bad the current Clooney romcom must be if Amal's being dragged into the press tour, or (b) what other story might be bubbling away to require a firm assertion that everything is absolutely fine oh ho nothing to see here just a regular old square-jawed movie star and his international barrister wife.

Actually there’s a lot of truth to that. We’re both very money conscious. Neither of us overspend. We’re savers not borrowers. So yep, there’s no financial stress in the household. That makes sense.

I think GC must be kissing the ground she walks on every day, he didn't have the best track record of choosing women before her.

She is attractive in an unusual way, she is smart and she has an interesting career that has nothing to do with acting or film. She gives him a huge amount of credibility.

What she see's in him is another thing, I just don't get it, his public persona comes across as smarmy and fake.

She is an impressive person. I hope she gets the oopportunity to [redacted] [redcated] [redacted] [redacted] like her husband does.

Also what people class as 'arguing' is all relative, I have a friend who says she rarely argues with her partner, but to her an argument is a full on shouting and screaming match, whereas I would say I sometimes argue with my husband, but we have never had a screaming row in 23 years together.

Even with DH almost 30 years and can only recollect a couple of real shouting arguments. I’m not saying we don’t have moments but it’s grumbles not arguing. Knowing each other well and own space helps. Mutual respect and shared goals. Similar values. Know them well enough not to niggle when tired or hungry or got a million things to do.

I bet even the super rich argue about money too, it's just on a different level to most people's financial disagreements.

Let's play devils advocate here :

He's still gay and sleeps with men? So fucking what? He must have slept with her at least once to produce said twins. Wouldn't be my acceptance of a marriage, but even if all that above bullshit was true, that's her choice to put up with it- they still continue, and like eachother, 8 years later?

DH and I have been together for 10 years and we hardly ever argue. I think it comes from us being right for each other and also from having got together later in life, maybe, with lots of crap relationships behind us. We are genuinely very happy together