Michelle Obama On How To Work Through The Ups And Downs Of A Relationship
Michelle Obama is married to one of the most successful men in history, so it’s safe to say she has some wisdom about dating.
The former first lady, who will be celebrating her 28th wedding anniversary with husband Barack Obama next month, spoke about how to create a successful long-term relationship during the most recent episode of The Michelle Obama Podcast.
Speaking with Conan O’Brien, Obama says relationships have many ups and downs and the important thing is to work things out if the bond is strong enough.
“There were times that I wanted to push Barack out of the window. And I say that because it’s like, you’ve got to know the feelings will be intense,” she said. “But that doesn’t mean you quit. And these periods can last a long time. They can last years.”
Michelle Obama also says she believes younger couples are more willing to give up on relationships if the chemistry isn’t always there. Her advice is that tough times will happen but true love will persevere.
“Young couples, they face these challenges and they’re ready to give up because they think they’re broken,” she explained.
“I just want to say, look, if that breaks a marriage, then Barack and I have been broken off and on, throughout our marriage, but we have a very strong marriage. And if I had given up on it, if I had walked away from it, in those tough times, then I would’ve missed all the beauty that was there as well.”
As for what to look for in finding a life partner? Mrs. Obama compared choosing a spouse to “picking your basketball team.”
“We’d have better marriages,” she said. “If you’re looking at a team, the people you want to win with, then number one, you want everybody on your team to be strong, right? You don’t want any weak links, you don’t want somebody that you can dominate.”
Obama continued: “Also, if you’re on a team, you’ve got to be able to do everything —especially in basketball, it’s like, you would never pick somebody that says, ‘I only dribble. I don’t shoot, I don’t defend, I just dribble.’”
As for Tinder, Michelle Obama says she doesn’t believe it’s the answer for a long-term relationship.
“There’s no magic way to make that happen except getting the basics of finding somebody, being honest about wanting to be with them, to date them seriously, to plan on making a commitment, to date them, seeing where it goes, and then making it happen," she said. “You can’t Tinder your way into a long-term relationship."
Listen to the full Michelle Obama Podcast with Conan O’Brien here.
