Majority according to a new survey say Women should Obey their husbands-What?

A new survey shared by Phys.org says 70% of people think a wife should obey her husband — while only 36% think a husband should obey his wife.

Yes, you read that right. And yes, I’m also having a hard time believing we’re apparently speed-running our way back to the 1950s.

The numbers (allegedly)

Here’s what the survey reports:

• 70% of respondents say a wife should obey her husband.
• 36% say a husband should obey his wife.
• 37% of men say a wife should obey her husband.
• 67% of women say a wife should obey her husband.
• 21% say spouses should mutually obey each other.

That last one is doing a lot of heavy lifting, because “mutually obey” sounds less like a marriage and more like a confusing set of household bylaws.

Why this is hard to swallow

Let’s start with the obvious: These results don’t just raise eyebrows — they raise questions. Big ones.

For example:

• What was the sample size? If it’s 50 people who all answered from the same Facebook group, that’s not exactly a snapshot of society.
• Who was surveyed and where? “People” is doing an incredible amount of work here. Age, location, religious background, political identity — all of that changes how folks answer questions like this.
• How was the question worded? “Obey” is a loaded term. Some people interpret it as “respect,” others hear “submit” and “don’t ask questions.” Those aren’t the same thing.
• Was it multiple choice or open-ended? Because “obey” isn’t exactly a word most couples use unless someone’s joking — or writing historical fiction.

The gender split is the real plot twist

The survey claims:

• 37% of men think wives should obey husbands.
• 67% of women think wives should obey husbands.

If that’s accurate, it’s the kind of finding that needs context — fast. It could reflect cultural norms, religious teachings, interpretations of “obedience,” or even social desirability bias (people answering what they think they’re “supposed” to say).

Or it could mean the survey’s methodology is shaky. Either way, it’s not something you can just drop into the internet and call it a day.

What to take away

If these numbers are correct, they point to a serious imbalance in expectations around marriage — and not in a cute “he loads the dishwasher wrong” way. More like “why are we framing adult partnerships like a chain of command?” kind of way.

But if you’re also finding it hard to believe, that’s fair. Before anyone uses this survey as proof of anything, it’s worth looking for the details Phys.org provides: sample size, demographics, question wording, margin of error — the boring stuff that determines whether this is meaningful data or just a headline with confidence.