About this quote

Romance often blinds people to the daily reality of sharing a budget with a single, highly observant critic. It is easy to feel like a star when you are flirting with a crowd of admirers who only see your best side. Marriage strips away that audience and leaves you with one person who knows exactly how loud you snore. Can you handle having your ego gently bruised on a Tuesday morning? Real intimacy requires trading the easy high of shallow praise for the grounding honesty of a partner who loves you enough to tease you.

When to use it

• Your brother is complaining that his new wife rolls her eyes at his terrible jokes instead of laughing like his coworkers do. You tell him he finally swapped the cheap applause of strangers for a dedicated critic.
• A retired local musician is struggling to adjust to quiet domestic life after years of crowd adulation. He repeats this line to his friend while his wife yells from the kitchen about the trash.
• Your friend is hesitant to settle down because he loves the constant flattery of first dates. You tell him that committing means swapping the easy praise of strangers for the sharp humor of someone who actually knows him.