[FrenchHusband]

Hello all,

Today I would like to post here the partial results from the mid study. Maybe some people will be interested with these figures ? I am also interested in reading comments or suggestions that might help me to compile specific datas for the next half.

Criteria of the study
My criteria to select stories : more than 10 posts, male LBS, no ongoing stories unless outcome is clear (divorce or reconnection)
Why did I choose these criteria ? Well because I am a male LBS, and I wanted to have an amount of stories that is significant and not too high.
According to Songandance post here,  there are 1440 members with 10+ posts.
I expect around 230 LBS stories in total, that is statistically significant enough for me.

methodological and personal bias
my purpose is not to do a scientific study. There are many bias in the datas here. First : this is coming from stories related by people, so they tell what they want to tell and nobody has checked the datas or the truth.
Then I have my own bias : I am a LBS and I think that my at home wife is in MLC, this is a huge bias to interpret the datas.
I am aware that, when reading, I am looking  for "reconnection signs" and "regret hints". I wanted to know also whether the odds are better with live-in spouse (discussion here ), or when the LBS "moves on"
Finally, even if there are many similarities between all the stories (script), each story is unique (sample of one), so the results look like adding apples, tomatoes and peers together.

I have listed as reconnection or rebuilding some stories that are not "canonically" recognized here and labelled in pink or purple. My criteria are lighter than the ones from the moderation team and can be challenged : likely some stories that I have listed as "reconnection" are actually "divorced". That would be "false reconnection" ?
On the other hand, divorce is not so final, I have read on this forum that 6% of couples get back together after divorce (found another evidence on the net, without source)
Here is an interesting discussion on the forum explaining that many LBS are reconciled and don't post anymore.

Partial results after checking 50% of the members
115 are fitting with my criteria : male LBS with 10+ posts
50 : outcome not clear (43%)
1 : the LBS is dead
39 : divorced (34%)
12 : reconnection (10%)
13 : rebuilding (11%)

Regrets
52 stories where regrets have been expressed by MLCer in total(45%). Many stories are very short (mainly those with result not clear) -> if I remove these datas I find 34 stories with regret out of 64 (53%).

LBS dating
23 stories where the LBS has had an affair, dated, or moved on another relationship.
7 : not clear (30%)
13 : divorced (57%)
3 : reconnection or rebuilding (13%)
I have found some stories where the spouse under MLC wants to reconnect and work on the marriage, and the LBS declines

34 stories with live-in wife
17 : status is not clear (50%)
7 : divorced (21%)
10 : reconnection or rebuilding (29%)

Personal conclusions
well, the more I read stories, the more I find that the advises here are very good for the LBS : detach, focus on yourself, GAL, etc...
From the datas there is hope, a few hope, but also the strong reality that many stories finish with divorce. I am now convinced, that, whatever the LBS is doing, he can not influence positively the MLC length or intensity. The LBS cannot save or fix the marriage.
My purpose here is not to give false hope : each one here has the right and his own reasons to stand or not stand. It is a very personal decision. And the odds are not a right reason to stand : that might lead to "expectations", and having expectations is against the advises here.

[WHY]

French this is an amazing effort.  Thank you. 

I’ll take some time to read through the data and post comments.  I suspect that there will be posts about taking it with a massive grain of salt.  This is obvious folks.  No need to harbor on it.  It’s not supposed to be factual evidence.  But the basis for an open discussion. 

Looking forward to seeing the other 50% of data roll in.

Thanks French!

[mcm64d]

So you are saying that 21% are either reconnecting or rebuilding?

[WHY]

So you are saying that 21% are either reconnecting or rebuilding?

He’s not saying anything.   Just reposting the results from data from the site.  There are no conclusions to be drawn here given the grain of salt.

[marvin4242]

So you are saying that 21% are either reconnecting or rebuilding?

He’s not saying anything.   Just reposting the results from data from the site.  There are no conclusions to be drawn here given the grain of salt.

I have no issue with that, but I am curious (truly), if it is not meant to be demonstrative and is not meant to be accurate then what is the purpose of these numbers? They can not be taken as information, they are not meant to illustrate, so that leaves me puzzled.

[FrenchHusband]

I have no issue with that, but I am curious (truly), if it is not meant to be demonstrative and is not meant to be accurate then what is the purpose of these numbers? They can not be taken as information, they are not meant to illustrate, so that leaves me puzzled.

Hi Marvin,

In fact there is no real purpose other than giving an "illustration" (I take your word) to us LBS. Many people come in this forum and are looking for answers, advises and comfort/consolation. I don't claim to give answers here, I just try to give a perspective.

So you are saying that 21% are either reconnecting or rebuilding?

It is my observation, yes. From what I understand, reconnection is a process, not a status, this path is not a bed of roses, so there is no guarantee regarding the outcome. And I can not say if it's a real reconnection or a false reconnection.
On the other hand, among the majority of the stories, my observation is that the outcome is "uncertain" (not clear), meaning not divorced and no clear hint of reconnection. So it may be that there are other LBS reconnecting or rebuilding among the biggest group.
Even within the divorced group, there might be a few (very few) reconnection stories or remarriage stories ?

Edit

Looking forward to seeing the other 50% of data roll in.

Thanks French!

Thanks for your cheerings ! First 50% took me around 2 months, I will stop for 1 week to listen to the comments here, then continue the work. Please be patient 

[WHY]

So you are saying that 21% are either reconnecting or rebuilding?

He’s not saying anything.   Just reposting the results from data from the site.  There are no conclusions to be drawn here given the grain of salt.

I have no issue with that, but I am curious (truly), if it is not meant to be demonstrative and is not meant to be accurate then what is the purpose of these numbers? They can not be taken as information, they are not meant to illustrate, so that leaves me puzzled.

Marv - to me this information is to be evaluated by each LBS in their own way and interpreted each to their own.  There are no global conclusions to be drawn here.   It’s just a summary of the stories on this site.

[WHY]

French this is a huuuuuge heavy lift.  Thank you friend.   We really appreciate it. 

I’m sure RCR has iron clad exact tracking data of all these stories for her PHD someday haha.  If not she should.  It’s her life’s work!  But for the rest of us peasant LBS.  It really does give you some insights into this crazy train called MLC. 

[WHY]

French.  One thing I’d be curious about is of the divorced cases, how many occurred where the MLCer couldn’t sign the dotted line and the LBS was actually the one to go through with it. 

Any sense from all the stories you read ?  Thanks. 

[FrenchHusband]

French.  One thing I’d be curious about is of the divorced cases, how many occurred where the MLCer couldn’t sign the dotted line and the LBS was actually the one to go through with it. 

Hi Why,

I don't have this data, I am sorry. I will check this point for the next stories I will read.
One figure I can give to you now is, among the divorced cases (39), the percentage of male LBS who "moved on" (another relationship) : 33% (13/39). I guess moving on is one of the reasons the LBS is actually the one pushing for divorce. 

Any sense from all the stories you read ?  Thanks.

I do not find a lot of sense in the stories I read 
I am currently reading Jung who writes in "Psychology of the Unconscious" that Irrational can not and must not be exterminated. Curiously, that makes sense to me now