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ez2bme Offline OP
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Lookin4serenity,
I think you may have me mixed up with someone else.
I did not betray my husband, he betrayed me.
To my knowledge he has not posted here on this site nor does he have a membership here, if he does, if he has posted, that is news to me.
I do remember why I left and it was not because I didn't like the advice, I didn't like the bitterness.

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Originally Posted by The MB Welcome to the forum message
One of the most important requirements for becoming a member is that you read all of Dr. Harley's Ten Basic Concepts. Click the tab "Basic Concepts" above on the header to find them. The purpose of this Forum is to help couples use those Basic Concepts to overcome marital conflicts and restore romantic love.

Originally Posted by maritalbliss
Check it out here.

Either you are here to learn about how MB can help your common law relationship, or you are not.
Which is it?

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I do remember why I left and it was not because I didn't like the advice, I didn't like the bitterness.
ez, I went back and read your threads and can't see an ounce of bitterness in any of them. Could you point those out, please?

You came here in February of 2009 asking about affairs and talking about your significant other. You lasted a week, didn't like what you were hearing and left.

You came back mid-November of last year for one day. You presented your story and claimed to have been married for two years. When a poster questioned that, you left the same day.

Now you're back with similar questions but are admitting that you are not married. When you get the same info you got two years ago, you claim persecution by embittered posters.

How do you think it will help your situation if you play loose with critical facts and then claim that the responding posters are 'bitter'?


D-Day 2-10-2009
Fully Recovered and Better Than Ever!
Thank you Marriage Builders!

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Originally Posted by maritalbliss
How do you think it will help your situation if you play loose with critical facts and then claim that the responding posters are 'bitter'?

Indeed.

Here is a quote I really like:

"If you try to gloss over the truth or massage the facts all you're doing is heightening your chances of arriving at an erroneous conclusion."

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Sorry ez. I must of been reading your thread and thinkin of someone elses. In anycase, folks here really aren't bitter. They can be assertive with their advice but that does not make them bitter. Hope all works out for you.


Don't pray for God to guide your footsteps unless you are willing to move your feet


Me BH 55, WW 40, M 12 yrs, 3 Boys 19, 10 & 8.
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Originally Posted by ez2bme
"But you should acknowledge an important reason that he had the affair: You were not meeting at least one of his most important emotional needs."

Where did you see this quote? Is it Marriage Builders advice? Does it have any context?


If you are serious about saving your marriage, you can't get it all on this forum. You've got to listen to the Marriage Builders Radio show, every day. Install the app!

Married to my radiant trophy wife, Prisca, 19 years. Father of 8.
Attended Marriage Builders weekend in May 2010

If your wife is not on board with MB, some of my posts to other men might help you.
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Originally Posted by markos
Originally Posted by ez2bme
"But you should acknowledge an important reason that he had the affair: You were not meeting at least one of his most important emotional needs."

Where did you see this quote? Is it Marriage Builders advice? Does it have any context?

Not a direct quote, but Surviving An Affair talks about this on page 32 and following.


Markos' Wife
FWW - EA
8 kids ...
What to do with an Angry Husband

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Originally Posted by Prisca
Originally Posted by markos
Originally Posted by ez2bme
"But you should acknowledge an important reason that he had the affair: You were not meeting at least one of his most important emotional needs."

Where did you see this quote? Is it Marriage Builders advice? Does it have any context?

Not a direct quote, but Surviving An Affair talks about this on page 32 and following.

Quote
How do Affairs Begin?

Instead of posting my response to these two letters, I have decided to use their contents to illustrate how affairs begin. R. J. described the essential conditions for an affair quite well. First, there is usually a dissatisfaction with marriage that stems from the failure to meet an important emotional need. For R.J., her need is conversation, which is usually missing in marriage when women have affairs. She has a deep and pervasive need to talk to her husband, a need that all the gifts in the world cannot meet.

http://www.marriagebuilders.com/graphic/mbi5059_qa.html


"An expert is a person who has made all the mistakes that can be made in a very narrow field." - Niels Bohr

"Smart people believe weird things because they are skilled at defending beliefs they arrived at for non-smart reasons." - Michael Shermer

"Fair speech may hide a foul heart." - Samwise Gamgee LOTR
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ez2bme Offline OP
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"ez, I went back and read your threads and can't see an ounce of bitterness in any of them. Could you point those out, please?

You came here in February of 2009 asking about affairs and talking about your significant other. You lasted a week, didn't like what you were hearing and left." -Aren't you being a tad bit presumptious here? How do YOU KNOW I didn't like what I was hearing? It is these kind of statements that I refer to and consider to be Bitter. I have a life outside this site, have had some major health issues not only with myself but my elderly mother, I've had a granchild born, my life does not revolve around this site.

You came back mid-November of last year for one day. You presented your story and claimed to have been married for two years. When a poster questioned that, you left the same day. I stated from the beginning I was COMMONLAW, check my posts.

Now you're back with similar questions but are admitting that you are not married. When you get the same info you got two years ago, you claim persecution by embittered posters.
The purpose of this site is to gain knowledge, strength and encouragement, while it is preferred that people be married, it is not a criteria for becoming a member. "The ultimate purpose of this Forum is to discuss and learn Marriage Builders� concepts.
This is a community where people come in search of marriage related support, answers, or encouragement."


How do you think it will help your situation if you play loose with critical facts and then claim that the responding posters are 'bitter'?
I have never been loose with critical facts.

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It may not be EZ, but you call him your "husband" and legally he is not.

Sadly, if he hasn't proposed marriage in 11 years, you have a long term renter on your hands, or somebody who in laymans' terms, ain't gonna get hitched.

As my great aunt used to say, "A leopard has spots, a tiger has stripes. Two different animals that are similar, but definitely not the same animal."

That's how it is with your "hubby", he's looking like one, he acts kinda like one, but seriously he is NOT a husband.

People respond to your posts b/c he seems as if he is a husband if you are presenting him here as "my husband" as you did in a few posts above.

Fwiw, if it were me, I'd have a sit down with the long term bf, and say "You know what, I love you, have had a considerable future with you, but would like us to commit to each other for life as real husband and wife. If you want fidelity, love, a real and solid future, I have a way to plan this. Begin a program for me and let's do this together, with no others."

If this man agrees to that, then I'd say you have a shot. But right now, he is seeing some responsibilities (maybe a house, assets, kids,) but is not FEELING the whole committment because he never really did. You are turning a leopard into a tiger right now.


Find out if he's willing to 1)be faithful and work together with you and 2)if he is able to trade in his spots for stripes and actually BECOME A HUSBAND.

If you have kids, they'd thank me for saying this to you. They deserve parents. Two loving married adults.


Change happens by listening and then starting a dialogue with the people who are doing something you don't believe is right. ~Jane Goodall
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Originally Posted by ez2bme
Aren't you being a tad bit presumptious here? How do YOU KNOW I didn't like what I was hearing? It is these kind of statements that I refer to and consider to be Bitter.
I have a life outside this site, have had some major health issues not only with myself but my elderly mother, I've had a granchild born, my life does not revolve around this site.
Oh. So when you said
Quote
"Obviously my marital status or lack there of it is more of an issue here than the real issue, trying to heal from an affair."
I now remember why I stopped coming here.

you were actually remembering that you stopped coming here because of health problems with yourself, your elderly mother and would welcome a grandchild. Uh-huh. Got it.


You came back mid-November of last year for one day. You presented your story and claimed to have been married for two years. When a poster questioned that, you left the same day.

Quote
I stated from the beginning I was COMMONLAW, check my posts.
In November you said

Quote
We were married 2 years when the affair took place

You neglected to throw in the 'common law' part. That's disengenuous at best. Now you're back with similar questions but are admitting that you are not married. When you get the same info you got two years ago, you claim persecution by embittered posters. ez, where do you get the idea that any of us are invested in you enough to be bitter toward you? We've got lives, too.

You said:
Quote
The purpose of this site is to gain knowledge, strength and encouragement, while it is preferred that people be married, it is not a criteria for becoming a member. "The ultimate purpose of this Forum is to discuss and learn Marriage Builders� concepts.
This is a community where people come in search of marriage related support, answers, or encouragement."
And you're right. No one said you have to be married to be a member here. We get plenty of posters who are here to learn for when they DO marry. But the quote is actually this:

Quote
The purpose of this Forum is to help couples use those Basic Concepts to overcome marital conflicts and restore romantic love.


Two years ago you were advised in a similar fashion to how you are being advised now. What did you think would be different? This is still MARRIAGE BUILDERS.


D-Day 2-10-2009
Fully Recovered and Better Than Ever!
Thank you Marriage Builders!

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ez2bme Offline OP
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"That you can find meaning in the storm. At times everyone goes through trials and tribulations. Seek out someone else in a similar situation and give them an encouragement or just a hug. Find meaning in the midst of your struggles by helping another in similar straits"...

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Originally Posted by ez2bme
"But you should acknowledge an important reason that he had the affair: You were not meeting at least one of his most important emotional needs."
I have a question.
Is it not possible that some people cheat just for the sport of it?

Below is a quote from my "Notable Posts" thread. JustKim spoke with Steve Harley about this very topic.


Originally Posted by JustKim as seen on Notable Posts thread
Ive read so many posts detailing how hard it is to recover. I myself feel the same. My M is so much better than it ever was, my H tries very hard and I have so much to be thankful for.

Ive asked myself so many times why I would still be struggling so badly.

Yesterday, I had my first session w Steve Harley. He explained it to me this way

"As long as you believe that your H had an affair because his emotional needs were not being met (as a *primary* reason) you will be meeting his emotional needs out of fear, there will always be a gun held to your head. Your H had an affair because he failed to protect HIMSELF from his own vulnerabilities, period. He is accountable and responsible for all"

He then went on to explain that perhaps my H has been telling me that "it wont happen again, that I am safe, etc..." BUT that it will likely have little reassuring effect because he is saying things that I believed were *always true*.

He said that until my H proves to me that HE gets it, that HE takes responsibility fully for what happened ( the A, not the downslide of our marriage) that you cannot heal.

I wonder how many of us BS that are struggling have spouses that have come to us and said "I did this to you. I failed us. I failed to protect the safety of our M. I will keep us safe from now on, you no longer have to be the gatekeeper." I wonder if they did, how many of us would still be struggling?

Steve likens this emotional injury to a horrific car crash. If we had visible physical wounds that mirrored the emotional trauma we have sustained there would be a plan to heal. First, you do A. then B. then C. and so on.
If our spouses are unable to do these things, we will not heal properly and at best, will limp along for the rest of our time here on Earth.

Understanding the "why".
This should answer your original question for starting this thread.

You're welcome.

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Originally Posted by ez2bme
"That you can find meaning in the storm. At times everyone goes through trials and tribulations. Seek out someone else in a similar situation and give them an encouragement or just a hug. Find meaning in the midst of your struggles by helping another in similar straits"...

You did not begin this thread asking for a hug/encouragement.
You began this thread by asking a question.
Your question has been addressed.

You're welcome.

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Originally Posted by ez2bme
In HIS eyes, I am still to blame.

And this right here is your problem, not the forum members.

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You did not begin this thread asking for a hug/encouragement.
You began this thread by asking a question.
Your question has been addressed.

You're welcome.
Dang, Pep's sharp as a razor, ain't she? laugh


D-Day 2-10-2009
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Thank you Marriage Builders!

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Originally Posted by maritalbliss
Quote
You did not begin this thread asking for a hug/encouragement.
You began this thread by asking a question.
Your question has been addressed.

You're welcome.
Dang, Pep's sharp as a razor, ain't she? laugh


She isn't one much for giving Tylenol to relieve diarrhea.


"An expert is a person who has made all the mistakes that can be made in a very narrow field." - Niels Bohr

"Smart people believe weird things because they are skilled at defending beliefs they arrived at for non-smart reasons." - Michael Shermer

"Fair speech may hide a foul heart." - Samwise Gamgee LOTR
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Originally Posted by maritalbliss
Dang, Pep's sharp as a razor, ain't she?
Originally Posted by HHH
She isn't one much for giving Tylenol to relieve diarrhea.

Thanks kids.

You're welcome, by the way.

There is a lesson here for us MB'ers.

When a dissatisfied newbie with a documented distain for MB returns to MB with a question, be careful. It is often a ruse.

I will not get a "Thank You" for answering her question.
Because the original question was not her purpose.
Nor was the dramaqueen longing for hugs/compassion from complete strangers that she ALREADY dislikes a legitimate reason to return to the hated MB forum.

You're welcome, by the way.

I figure, another poster, a lurker, one who really HAS a desire to learn about MB will read the response and hopefully gain/learn in absentia.

Good advice is not wasted.
It is just passed on to a different set of ears.

You're welcome, by the way.

I sure could use some Tylenol for this diarrhea.
Maybe some acedaminophen instead? rotflmao







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Waiting for "sunrisesunset" to chime in.
rotflmao

Last edited by Pepperband; 03/03/11 04:15 PM. Reason: who is online comes in handy sometimes
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Here you go, Pep. Keep the bottle.

[Linked Image from uniquedirect.com]


D-Day 2-10-2009
Fully Recovered and Better Than Ever!
Thank you Marriage Builders!

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