I must say you caught me red-handed: My standards for a romantic partner have been extremely low at times and I would constantly make excuses for them. Oh, John can’t take the trash out, he’s been working so hard.

On the other hand I believe the issue can be more complex at times. I would often leave financial decisions to my male counterparts instead of informing myself and learning. Sure, I might have at one point believed that finances was just something men did better (as we are often taught) – but mostly, it was just convenient for me to have someone else do the job for me.

Basically: Good partners take on different roles in a relationship but they also encourage each other to learn and grow. Everybody doesn’t have to do everything but everybody should be able to do everything if needed.