TISA recently concluded a survey: Would you like to marry someone with stammer? Total number of votes were 82 (between 8th December 09 to 4th April 2010).

53.7% said that they would marry a PWS. We do not know the background characteristics of this group, but we assume that most were male PWS. This is a welcome figure! This shows that about half of the respondents are wiling to accept stammering in a long term relationship. Obviously, this is a group, which is comfortable with their own stammering and is open to a deeper dimension of relationship. All the best to this group! Happy marrying! (dont forget to invite TISA, please.)

23.2% gave a categorical 'no' as an answer. About 23% were undecided: “depends”- 15.9% and “may be” - 7.3%. We do not know how this 'undecided' group would turn out if they had more information to base their decision on- or if they had more time to think about the whole issue. It is difficult to guess the reasons but it has been known, that some of us feel so pained by social reactions that we begin to hate stammering in ourselves and in others. Hence, we cant bear the idea of spending life with some one who stammers. “One stutterer  is bad enough in family- why have two?” - this is a typical reaction of this group. But this intolerance, this self loathing keeps fueling the struggles which give rise to more stammering - both at physiological and emotional level. As the Zen saying goes- “What you resist, persists.”

Another problem is: can one guess, research or forecast, what will make her or him truly happy in future? If Daniel Gilbert is to be believed- NO. In his book, “Stumbling on Happiness”, he makes this point- the notion that our past emotional states, present experiences, and imagined futures can be accurate predictors of our actual future levels of happiness is untrue. He backs it by much psychological research. More..

Finally, in relationships many more factors decide satisfaction. Read this article for more on this theme.