- The Five Kinds of
Wives
- By Barrington H. Brennen, June 9, 2006, July 2019
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Barrington H. Brennen |
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In a previous article, I wrote about the "Five
Kinds of Husbands," which I am sure engendered lots of discussion.
They are (1) the "lion king," authoritarian husband; (2) the
"passive-aggressive" husband; (3) the "gentleman" husband; (4) the
"ceremonial" husband; and (5) the vitalized-harmonious husband, which I
presented as the ideal husband. To learn more about these types of husbands,
you may go to the
webpage . These descriptions are the result of years of
working with and observing hundreds of couples and extensive research.
- FIVE KINDS OF WIVES
Now it is time to describe the wives. Similarly, I have developed
descriptions for five kinds of wives. I know many men are sitting on the
edge of their seats. There are some wives who are wonderful and
represent the ideal kind of wife. On the other hand there are some wives
who are a "pain in the neck." What kind of wife are you? Here are my
descriptions of the five kinds of wives:
The roaring lioness wife. This is the strong-headed, military-leader
kind of wife who bosses everyone around. Similar to the "lion king,"
authoritarian husband, she is controlling and gets most of her requests done
by others out of "fear and trembling." She is often far ahead of everyone,
dragging them along with her. Her husband, usually the quiet type, is
embarrassed to be with her in public. She is a trouble maker. She has an
unhealthy form of independence we call super-independence, and she is not
interested in becoming a partner with her husband. This kind of wife perhaps
is best described as an aggressor.
The barking, critical wife. She is described in the Bible as "a
constant dripping on a rainy day." (Proverbs 25:15). She criticizes just
about everything and everyone. Very little positive, encouraging words can
be heard from her lips, and she is often stubborn with it. In the home, she
is a pest to her children and her husband. At church, her critical spirit
stifles growth. In the community, she prevents positive growth. If growth is
to take place, it has to be under her influence. This is the kind of woman
who was raised not to respect her husband, but to use him. If he does not do
what she says, she criticizes him. This kind of wife may be best described
as a trouble maker.
The quiet, subservient wife. This is the kind of wife many
traditional men dream of having. She is the "yes" woman. She is sweet,
supportive, gentle, and very easy to get along with. Because of this kind of
personality, she is often used, abused, and misunderstood. This kind of wife
usually ends up marrying a "lion king," authoritarian husband who controls
her. She is perhaps the greatest supporter of leaders, and is very loyal and
committed to them. She honors her husband and was taught to serve him
without question. In fact, she has been raised to be dependent on men and
values that as her Biblical mandate. However, in her quiet world, she may be
troubled, often depressed, and feels used and abused. She cannot express
herself because she is "not supposed to." This kind of wife may be best
described as a peacemaker.
The popular "nice lady" wife. This is the independent, thinking wife
who makes it her duty to treat her husband with respect. She is nice to
everyone and because of her attitude, gets along with most people. This kind
of wife may be an effective leader (not like the roaring lioness wife
who controls rather than cooperates with others). She has creative ideas and
seeks to get the cooperation of those she works with. Although she enjoys
making joint decisions with her husband on family matters, she believes that
her husband has the final say on most major issues.
The vitalized-harmonious wife. This is the ideal wife who may be
called by theologians "the Christ-centered" wife. She enjoys sharing home
leadership and decision making with her husband who values her as his equal
partner. When both husband and wife have a healthy form of independence,
together they form a vibrant interdependent, harmonious relationship.
Together they create a synergy that is unmatched by any other kind of
husband-wife relationship. She empowers her husband with her supportive
attitude and sensitive communication skills.
The vitalized-harmonious wife is the kind of person who helps create the
perfect marriage. Several years ago I wrote in an article, "A Perfect
Marriage is Possible," the following: "A perfect marriage is one in which
both married partners realize and admit their imperfections and find ways of
reducing them one by one, thus creating a synergy of marital forces that
only brings harmony." I continued to define: "A perfect marriage is not free
from pain, but free of misery. It is not the absence of anger, but absence
of resentment. It is not free of disagreement, but free of discord. It is
not the absence of challenges, but the absence of confusion. A perfect
marriage is not free from diminishing romance, but free from an apathetic
spirit." This understanding is what a vitalized-harmonious wife brings to a
marriage.
- WHO ARE YOU
?
What kind of wife are you? Perhaps you are a combination of more
than one of them. Your goal should be to become a vitalized-harmonious
wife. This is the kind of wife that truly fulfills the principles of
love found in 1 Corinthians 13. We need more and more wives who are
willing to cooperate, share, and become harmonious partners with their
husbands. Marriage is not a competition between two consenting adults.
It is a covenantal relationship that combines two unique individuals
into one harmonious whole–marriage.
- Barrington Brennen is a marriage
and family therapist, a nationally certified psychologist, and an
ordained minister of the gospel. Send your questions to P.O. Box
CB-13019 ,
Nassau, The Bahamas, or call 242 327 1980, or email
barringtonbrennen@gmail.com
Or visit the website
www.soencouragement.org
for this and many more articles.
