Competition for expression of growth and individuality. Competition for attention Competition for power Competition for money Competition for self-esteemAs multiple-income families become standard practice and men and women understand more about the needs of each other, husbands will have decreasing need to view women's desire for self-development and fulfillment as a blow to their masculinity.It is important for women as well as men to be self-sufficient. But there is also the danger of overemphasizing getting clear of people who are closest to you. It is impossible to establish intimacy without a lot of time and experience with each other. A career wife may tend to grow out and away and into herself instead of growing up. A successful marriage allows each partner to grow and permits sharing and realignment of roles as each changes his or her own conception of self. In my marriage, competition was very high. Since I could not stay at home with my children, I would have liked to work on my career. Once my husband started climbing the upward ladder and becoming very successful, I was a resentful that I could not have the same opportunities. I was willing to work towards job success but did not have the flexibility to do so. When the kids got sick, I left work to be with them. When my husband was transferred, I was quitting one company and starting with another. Also, my husband was not supportive of me finishing school nor was there the money.As mentioned previously, I believed success in the workplace was the key to happiness and respect. I saw my husband getting recognition, winning trips and therefore, in my book, a better person and more self-fulfilled. As I see it, there were several problems. First, I had no focus. I was working because I thought I should plus my husband wanted me to for financial reasons. I was torn between feeling guilty for not being home with my children and not...
