Contemptual Expressions and Their Serious Impact on Marital Life

Psychologists have identified contemptual expressions as a warning sign of serious issues in marital relationships.

On the 23rd (local time), the New York Post reported that Dr. John Gottman, a clinical psychologist and marriage counselor, discovered that a smile featuring only one corner of the mouth raised could indicate divorce with a 94% accuracy.

Dr. Gottman has consistently conducted extensive research on the factors that form or destroy marital relationships, publishing the results of statistical analyses on marriage and divorce in the 'Journal of Family Psychology' in 1992.

Body language expert Vanessa Van Edwards explained, "Dr. Gottman was able to predict with 93.6% accuracy whether one partner would divorce the other when one person smiled with a raised corner of the mouth. This is because contempt can be detected in the expression." She described contempt as "the most harmful emotion in a relationship" and emphasized, "If you sense signs of contempt from yourself or your partner, you must confront it head-on."

She advised, "Keep asking questions like, 'What's wrong?'; 'Are you okay?'; and 'How do you feel right now?' to encourage the other person to express their feelings of contempt and address the issues together."

Clinical psychologist Dr. David M. Schnier also reinforced Dr. Gottman's findings, stating, "Feelings of disgust and contempt in a relationship are like throwing a match and oil onto a fire."

He pointed out subtle movements such as rolling the eyes or grimacing as signals of contempt, as well as behaviors like adjusting clothing or wiping fingers while speaking. He also suggested that if the situation becomes too serious, it's better to make a joke or change the topic to something both enjoy. He proposed going outside for a walk to cool off as a solution.

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