Momentum: The Physics of a Failing Marriage

Momentum: The Physics of a Failing Marriage

From The Save The Marriage Podcast by Lee H. Baucom, Ph.D.

March 18, 2026 · 21 min · Episode 594

About this episode

This episode explores the concept of momentum in relationships and how it can lead to the quiet deterioration of a marriage.

My high school science teacher almost helped me make TNT in the chemistry lab! That's how this episode starts. But it's not really about chemistry. It's about physics. Specifically, it's about momentum... and why the same force that keeps a relationship strong is also the force that quietly destroys it without anyone noticing until it's almost too late. Here's the thing most couples never consider: love isn't what holds a marriage together over time. It's what starts the process. What actually carries a relationship forward — or pulls it apart — is momentum And momentum follows rules. When couples come to me in crisis, one of the most common things I hear is some version of: "I didn't see it coming." Or: "I thought we were just going through a phase." Or: "I thought once things settled down, we'd get back to each other." They're not wrong that something changed. They're just wrong about when it started. The damage was already done — quietly, gradually, in a direction they couldn't feel — long before the crisis arrived. This episode is about why that happens. And why the natural response most people have when they finally do notice? It often makes it worse. A few things worth…

People in this episode

Host: Lee H. Baucom, Ph.D.

Topics covered

  • marriage
  • relationships
  • momentum
  • crisis
  • communication
  • physics

Keywords

  • momentum
  • marriage crisis
  • relationship dynamics
  • communication issues
  • emotional distance

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