For Better for Worse

I've often seen videos where men are asked the secrets to their successful marriages and they would jokingly say "Just do everything the wife says" in a playful manner that makes you think that they're joking but are they?

_{photo by Zoriana Stakhniv}

Earlier today, a friend was complaining to me about how he constantly gets into fights (arguments) with his girlfriend, sometimes over little things and he was tired of it. He told me how they both wouldn't speak to each other for days, unless he eventually goes to her to make peace by giving her what she wants, depending on what caused the argument.

Basically what he was trying to tell me was that he had noticed that unless things went her way, they never had peace at home...so the easiest way to get that peace was to just get her what she wants or do things the way she wants it done and everything will be fine.

Now while that might sound nice or whatever, is that truly a healthy way of being in a relationship or isn't that just a toxic relationship. I'm curious to know because I genuinely feel that constantly trying to avoid silly arguments with your partner by kinda becoming their puppet and doing everything they want without having a say of your own (be it the man or woman) doesn't sound like the right way to go about things.

Now I might be wrong, because I'm neither married or in a relationship, but common sense just tells me that that isn't right at all. But then again, not choosing to do things her way will only lead to more arguments which also isn't a good thing.

So tell me people, is it just my masculinity speaking and maybe choosing to let your spouse have her way all the time is the right way to go or is there something else that I just don't know about that can be done to fix this and hopefully reduce the fighting.. Please tell me, what do you think is the key to having a successful relationship and marriage?