One of the most effective ways to save a marriage is learning how you can admit when you re wrong

Saving relationships involves many steps, but few are as important as admitting when you re wrong. You must understand where you ve gone wrong. Accept that you re human and mistakes are human too. If you really want to rescue your relationship, admit you re wrong.

There are lots of different versions of "you re wrong", you really need to deal with all of them.

1. Admit you re wrong when you know you re wrong

2. Admit you re wrong even when you aren t totally sure if you are wrong

3. Admit you re wrong even when you know you aren t but your spouse insists you are

When you admit you re wrong, you diffuse the anger of the situation and derail your spouse s argument. Continuing an argument at full throttle is almost impossible when the wind has been taken out of your sails. That s one thing admitting you re wrong accomplishes - it slows down the argument. And slowing down the arguments is key for fixing the relationship in trouble.

Another benefit of admitting you re wrong is that it helps bring into perspective what matters. In every disagreement, there is his side, there is her side, and the truth lies somewhere in between. Yet the combatant spouses dig in on the lines that define their "side".

By admitting you re wrong, you are stepping off that line towards the center where the truth lies.

That admission encourages your spouse, makes it easier for reciprocal admissions. Suddenly, you aren t dug in any longer. An agreement is closer. And then, your relationship is well positioned for recovery.