One of the unknown benefits of marriage is that it makes you a better person. This doesn’t mean that it automatically flips a switch within you making you a much kinder, more patient and less selfish person. A happy marriage alone does not make you a better person; but the challenges of married life do.

How does marriage make you a better person?

Marriage teaches you to compromise. When you are single, you become accustomed to getting your own way. You are rarely in a position where you need to give up something you really care about for someone else.

Once you are married, you realize that or arguing until you get your way leaves your spouse feeling like the loser, and passively surrendering to your spouse’s wishes leaves you feeling like the loser. To reach a compromise, you have to open up your mind and embrace teamwork and self sacrifice.

Marriage teaches you patience. It is not that you can’t be patient when you are single, but married life the perfect environment for you to practice patience. You learn to hold your tongue and curb your instant reactions even when you are feeling inconvenienced frustrated or angry. You also learn how not to escalate situations and avoid unnecessary fights.

Having such a high level of patience is bound to come handy in other areas of your life. It makes you a better parent, employee / employer and, generally, a more pleasant person to be around.

Marriage teaches you true repentance and forgiveness. Married people hurt each other’s feelings all the time. It is impossible to have such a close and intimate relationship with someone and never do something to hurt them.

Being married teaches you how to overcome your pride, admit your mistakes and offer a sincere apology when you are wrong. It also teaches you how to let go of the hurt, once your spouse has apologized. You learn how to separate the person you love from their wrong doing.

One of the reasons why marriage is so challenging is that it forces you to work on yourself, something you probably wouldn’t have had to do if you had stayed single! However, if you embrace this and other benefits of marriage, you’ll come out the other end a much better person.