What makes a marriage work?

Research indicates you can get mad as hell or avoid conflict altogether. But the positivity must outweigh the negativity by five to one. If you are worried about the future of your marriage or relationship, you have plenty of company. There's no denying that this is a frightening time for couples. More than half of all first marriages end in divorce; 60 percent of second marriages fail. What makes the numbers even more disturbing is that no one seems to understand why our marriages have become so fragile. more on ... http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=34927

I would think that you would have to trust one another and be honest with each other.

trust honesty and communication

surprises and trust