Health, Longevity & Biohacking
Julie Gottman links contempt in couples to higher illness rates
Big Think
These 4 behaviors predict divorce with startling accuracy | John & Julie Gottman: Full Interview
"But contempt, the number of times contempt is expressed in a conflict conversation, predicts how many infectious illnesses that listening partner is going to have in the coming 4 years. In other words, contempt is not only sulfuric acid for the relationship, it's also sulfuric acid for the immune system, damaging the immune system so the individual listening is going to be sick more often."
Julie Gottman argues that contempt in relationship conflict harms more than emotional wellbeing, claiming it predicts the number of infectious illnesses a partner will experience over the next four years. She frames contempt as a physiological stressor with immune consequences for the recipient, not just a marker of relationship breakdown.
From this episode
Big Think