Posted on Oct 24, 2013

Why every marriage should take a more sanguine view

Sometimes, life can be hard.

Difficult and unpleasant situations arise for everyone. One of the benefits of being married is having a ‘best friend’ right beside you as you go through those hard times.

But how a husband a wife team approaches a difficult situation is a choice.

They can choose to be pessimistic and gloomy and treat their situation like Eeyore, from the story of Winnie-the-Pooh. Or they can choose to take a more sanguine view.

As a differentiating value, Sanguinity means optimistically cheerful and confident. This is a great value to embrace in tough or challenging situations.

So what exactly are the benefits of taking a more sanguine view on life?

7 Advantages of Taking a More Sanguine View

When a husband and wife team take a more sanguine view on life, they:

See the good in everything. They recognize the positive aspects of every event and experience.
Learn from every experience. Instead of just ‘surviving’ an event, they continue to learn and grow, gaining a deeper understanding that can benefit others.
Preserve hope for a better future. They never loose hope that tomorrow can be different and better.
Have more friends. More people are drawn to them because of their optimism.
Move forward in confidence instead of fear. Instead of allowing a challenge to become a roadblock, it’s viewed as an opportunity that will be of benefit.
Possess an attitude of gratitude. They find it easier to be thankful for the little things, which research has shown leads to a happier life.
Bring gladness into the lives of others. Just as a blessing shared is a double blessing, so too does a difficult situation benefit others when they see how a couple remains cheerful and confident.

Critics of this value suggest those who embrace sanguinity have a Pollyanna view on everything. They argue that always maintaining an optimistic outlook is unhealthy and unrealistic.

Yet, entrepreneurs and inventors who persevere until they succeed are vigorously celebrated. We also find family and friends continuously encouraging athletes to keep their vision alive of someday winning an Olympic medal.

So why shouldn’t the value of sanguinity be encouraged in marriage?

No matter what difficulties a couple may face, life is much better when approached with cheerful optimism and confidence!