There is more of good nature than of good sense at the bottom of most marriages.
Henry David Thoreau
The Importance of Good Nature in Marriage: How Kindness and Laughter Keep Love Running SmoothlyIn marriage, good sense is important for practical matters like paying bills and buying groceries, but it’s the good nature of compassion, laughter, understanding, and kindness that truly keeps love running smoothly. It’s the secret sauce that turns a simple “I do” into the sweet, everyday music of “I still do,” making the journey of married life beautiful and harmonious.
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Meaning of Quote – There is more of good nature than of good sense at the bottom of most marriages.
Love and marriage often go hand in hand, like peanut butter and jelly or a warm blanket on a chilly night. It’s something many folks dream aboutfinding that special someone who makes your heart skip a beat, someone who understands your goofiest jokes and still laughs, who’ll share an umbrella with you in the rain, or who simply loves you even when you’re having a bad hair day. But have you ever wondered what really glues a marriage together?
Henry David Thoreau, a man with a bushel of wise words, once said, “There is more of good nature than of good sense at the bottom of most marriages.” It’s a nugget of truth that can help us unwrap what makes a marriage really tick. Let’s imagine what this good nature might look like, shall we?
Picture two people, Anna and Ben. They are not superheroes or mind readers, just two ordinary folks who decided one day that life was better together. What makes their marriage sturdy isn’t just knowing the multiplication table by heart or the best route to beat traffic, it’s the smiles, the winks, and the ability to not take each other too seriously.
Good nature is about being kind to one another. It’s Anna leaving an encouraging note in Ben’s lunch box on a day she knows he has a big meeting. It’s Ben making sure to sneak an extra cookie in her apron pocket, just because. This kindness is like sunshine to the soul; it warms you up from the inside and makes you want to keep growing together. It isn’t a fancy diploma but a simple, day-to-day lesson in love.
Think about listeningnot just with your ears, but with your heart. When someone speaks, really hearing them is a gift wrapped in good nature. It’s the patience to listen to stories that have no point, the jokes that aren’t funny, or even the worries that curl up in the shadows of the night. Being a great listener in a marriage is like being a rock-solid tree that offers shade in the smoldering heat.
Then there’s forgiveness, a superpower that’s all about letting go of the small stuff. Maybe someone forgot to put the cap back on the toothpaste or left their dirty socks doing a lonely dance on the living room floor. Holding on to little annoyances is like carrying a backpack full of bricksit makes the journey of marriage heavier than it needs to be. Forgiving each other is how you leave room for joy, laughter, and new memories.
Good nature is having a sense of humor, too. Its those giggles over burnt toast or teasing each other with playful nicknames. Its the belly laughs when recalling how Aunt Mabel danced at the wedding, or the chortles that spill out when the pancakes flip right out of the pan and onto the floor. A shared laugh can light up the darkest room and is the secret twinkle in the eye of a happy marriage.
Another part of good nature is understanding that nobody’s perfect. It’s getting that people sometimes get cranky, make mistakes, or have a weird obsession with collecting interesting rocks. This understanding is like a big, comfy couch that says, “It’s okay to be yourself.” And when you can be your true self, you grow closer, stronger, and more connected.
So, okay, sometimes good sensethe practical stuffhas to join the party. It’s important, too, like making sure the bills get paid, the oil gets changed in the car, and that someone remembers to buy milk. But while good sense keeps life running smoothly, it’s that good naturethose grins, forgiveness, and acceptancethat adds the sparkle to a relationship.
Choosing to be in a marriage also means choosing an adventure, and every adventure needs a dash of courage. It takes guts to share your life with someone, to say, “Yep, you’re my person, the peanut butter to my jelly, and I’m sticking with you through thick and thin.” Because life isn’t always a walk in the parksometimes it’s a hike through a storm. But good nature is that little voice that whispers, “We’ve got this,” even when the trail gets rocky.
All of this isn’t to say that good sense isnt usefulit’s the compass that helps navigate through lifes decisions. But the compass needs to be held by hands that are willing to be gentle, that choose to be kind, even when the needle spins wildly. And that’s the beauty of what Mr. Thoreau was getting at.
As time rolls on, Anna and Ben, like any married couple, will face high tides and low tides. They’ll need to be wise with their words, their time, and their money. But when the candles burn out, and it’s just the two of them sitting side by side, what keeps their hearts stitched together isn’t a list of sensible decisions. It’s the warmth they hold for each otherthe good nature that sparked their love and keeps it burning bright, day in and day out.
In the end, good sense is important, but it’s the good naturethe compassion, laughter, understanding, and kindnessthat’s the secret sauce. It’s what turns a simple “I do” into the sweet, everyday music of “I still do.” So, while marriage is a dance of both good sense and good nature, it seems Mr. Thoreau was hinting that the melody we really sway to is played on the strings of good nature. And it’s this music that makes the heart hum along in the beautiful journey of married life.
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