7 Lies Your Wife Tells You

‘I’ve only slept with two men’

More like four. Most women can spout off their past partners’ names as quickly as you can your fantasy-league roster. So, no, a few guys from college don’t just accidentally get lost in the shuffle. “Women always minimize how many sexual partners they’ve had, mostly because they want to seem pristine,” says Barash. By Lorraine’s estimates, doubling her number will give you a more accurate picture of her past. “Women will say, ‘That one didn’t count,’ because it only lasted a few minutes, they were really drunk, or never saw the guy again, even though it really was sex,” she says.

‘I wouldn’t change anything about you’

She totally would. If your wife sounds like a Hallmark card, she probably is genuinely expressing her love—just with a little exaggeration. “When it comes to the big picture, women will rarely rock the boat, especially in a committed relationship,” says Barash. “But the fact is, she wishes you’d lose 10 pounds, maybe 20, had a different job, or weren’t so cheap.” But according to her mental calculations, she has more to gain by keeping her mouth shut—and the relationship happy—than by complaining.