Maybe this is why some men secretly resent their wives, or feel their wives are holding them back. They got married when their prospects as a single person started to wane. While they need their wives, they may also resent needing their wives. They may see their wives as a representation of their diminished prospects. Then -- conveniently -- they have someone right there to blame for "holding them back" and ostensibly keeping them from still having the lifestyle they had in their 20's.