E = MC2

Gallery

Corporations are big on acronyms and formulas, so I decided to borrow a famous one to fit the “home organization”. Einstein’s famous theory of relativity (E equals M times C squared) establishes the relationship between energy and mass. I believe, in marriage the equation would look something like this:

Eternity = Manageability times Capability times Congeniality

Let me tell you how I arrived at that. As a recruiter, I have read many books on how to find the right candidate, screening and interviewing techniques etc. and seen hundreds of interview questions. Experts say that it all comes down to three main questions, when finding the right person for any position:

1. Will this person do the job? (Willingness/Manageability)
2. Can this person do the job? (Capability)
3. Can I deal/work with this person everyday? (Congeniality)

The same questions need to be asked and answered when it comes to finding a life partner.

Manageability: Will this person do the job of being your spouse? What this refers to is how committed is an individual to doing the work that it takes to ensure marital bliss. Sometimes it’s not that people don’t know how to make a relationship work it is simply that they don’t want to make the effort. When things get tough is this person willing to stick it out?

Capability: Can this person do the job of being your spouse? This is what is commonly referred to as “compatibility”. But it goes beyond compatibility. It is about communication, creativity and emotional and intellectual capacity. When things get tough, can this person figure out what needs to be done? I have heard stories of many people with the proverbial “heart of gold”, where there are the best of intentions but the words and actions come out all wrong. This is because they don’t have the ability of dealing with certain kinds of situations/stresses/needs/demands.  A study out of Radford University in Virginia found that occupations that had brighter, better-educated employees had lower divorce rates.  Also those who work in people-helping professions such as educators and social workers enjoyed more peaceful relationships.

Congeniality: Can I deal/work with this person everyday? Do you like this person? Do you respect him/her? And of course, do you have chemistry?

These questions greatly increase the probability of making a good hire at work and they could potentially increase the chance of selecting a good partner at home.