The 1-Word Secret to a Lasting Marriage According To Peter Dinklage

It's simpler than you'd think

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Monica Schipper/WireImage

There’s no shortage of advice when it comes to marriage. From a “Finnish silence” to navigating the seasons of love to the 5-to-1 rule, the internet is packed with tips and tricks. But Peter Dinklage is keeping it simple. His go-to marriage advice? Just one word.

For context, Dinklage, 56, and his wife, theater director Erica Schmidt, celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary earlier this year. The two eloped in Las Vegas back in April 2005 and they’ve been going strong ever since. So, what’s his secret?

“Patience. Patience. Yeah. Patience,” he told People at a special screening of his new film, The Roofman, in New York City on Monday, Sept. 8.

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Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic

That’s it. No flow charts. No complicated metaphors. Just a gentle reminder that taking a breath (or several) goes a long way in love.

Dinklage isn’t the only celeb offering up advice worth holding onto lately. Taylor Swift recently dropped a 9-word gem on self-worth that people should be clinging to. While chatting on the New Heights podcast, she admitted she’s not great at sports, especially catching a ball, and she’s unbothered. Her take? “When I don't make a catch, it doesn't bother me.” The deeper reason why? “It’s not part of my metrics for my self-worth.”

Sure, she was technically talking about sports, but the message is bigger than that. Not being great at everything is normal. And not letting it destroy your confidence is too.

And then there’s Reese Witherspoon, who served up a 4-word life motto that kind of lives rent-free in my head now: “Stick with the radiators.”

In a recent Instagram post where she shared advice she’d give her younger self, she explained, “People are either radiators or drains. Stick with the radiators!”

Looks like some of our favorite celebs might just have a future in life coaching. Until then, I'll be taking notes.

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