The Little Lie That Could Make For A Stronger, Happier Relationship

If you've ever been in a relationship, you know it's all too easy to pick fights over the silliest things.

But believing the best about your partner -- instead of assuming he leaves the dishes out on purpose, for example -- can make your relationship much stronger, and there's science to prove it.

The above video from Science of Us illustrates a study in which soon-to-be-wed couples were asked about their partners' positive and negative traits. Some couples gave realistic portrayals of the way their partners acted on a daily basis, and others focused primarily on their partners' positive traits (kindness, honesty, etc.), even if they didn't act that way very often. Those couples, researchers found, ended up happier over time.

The moral of the story? There's something here about positive illusion, or the idea that believing the best about your partner keeps you content over a lifetime while encouraging them to actually be their very best.

That'll make your big day -- and beyond -- so much sweeter.

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