Today, many people are having affairs or want to be involved with other people while remaining in a marriage. It can hold the marriage together lots of times. There are other instances where couples have open relationships. But we can’t write a ticket for everybody because we’re all different. We grew up in different homes with different values and we have our own unique experiences. But the ego – how you feel about yourself – gets set very early in life. That is, when we’re what I call “victims” of parents. If it makes us feel good, that carries us a long way.
There are some people that are not very interesting or bright, but they think they’re terrific. That’s because this is the message they received from their parents. For example, the parent whose child comes home with some scribble on his paper and the parents act like it’s a Picasso. So we all come from a background that gives us a message about who we are and how we feel about ourselves. And then we project that message and test it out in the world. And the world can agree with it or the world can disagree with it. For some, the world can come down pretty hard on them.
So, it’s important to look at who you are, how you got to be that way, and what kind of insights you have into life.