Formula for a healthy home

One of the most important things young people consider before marriage is if the marriage will stand the test of time.

Understanding the roles of each individual in a marital relationship is crucial. This is not being stereotypical but finding a formula that brings less conflict and adaptable compromises.

This (copied) story below captures this succinctly:

I once asked my friend, "What is the secret behind your happy married life?" 

He replied, "You should share responsibilities with due love, and respect for each other. Then absolutely there will be no problems."
I asked, "Can you explain?" He said, "In my house, I take decisions on bigger issues whereas my wife decides on smaller issues. We do not interfere in each other's decisions."
Still not convinced, I asked him to give me some examples. He said, "Smaller issues like how many kids to have, the neighbourhood to live, which car we should buy, how much money to save, who, when and where to visit, which sofa, cooker, refrigerator to buy, monthly expenses, whether to keep a maid or not, where to go for holidays, whose mum we should visit etc, etc, are decided by my wife. I just agree to it."
I then asked, "So then what is your role?"
He said, "My decisions are only for very big issues. Like whether America should attack Iran, the uranium enrichment in North Korea, whether Britain should re-colonize Nigeria, how to fully exploit Africa's economic and intellectual potential, whether Buhari and Atiku should retire from politics, whether Arsenal FC needs to buy new players or change their coach to improve their play, whether Usain Bolt should retire now - while still at his prime etc, etc.
My wife never objects to any of these decisions and we live happily!

There's no one-size-fits-all theory for a successful marriage. Find what works for you and improve on it daily!