Dolly Parton credits humor as the key to 'never arguing' during her 56 year marriage
Dolly Parton and Carl Dean have a love story for the ages.

Dolly Parton and husband Carl Dean
Dolly Parton’s long lasting marriage with husband Carl Dean is about as famous as any of her greatest hits. As the story goes, one wholesome first date at a McDonald’s led to tying the knot in 1964—and the two have been together ever since. Fifty-six years and counting.
Sure, perhaps Parton and Dean’s compatibility is simply a one-in-a-million act of fate. But even if the stars did perfectly align to bring them together, odds are considerable effort was still required in order to help their relationship through the inevitable ups-and-downs of life.
So just what has been the secret sauce keeping that spark alive? In a word, humor.
In an interview with ET Canada, Parton credited their shared “warped sense of humor” to be the key to their long union. In fact, she considered it a saving grace for any couple.
“I think humor, honestly, is one of the best things when you’re married like that,” she told ET Canada. "Even if you have a problem, if you have a great sense of humor, if you say something you can’t take back [you] usually have some crazy way of getting out of it.”Remaining playful with one another has allowed Parton and Dean to avoid disagreements turning into full blown fighting, which she shared in an exclusive interview with Hollywood Life was a rule she made with Dean years ago.
“Once you start [arguing], it can become a habit, and that just goes on. So, if there are times that things get a little tense, or we get a little sideways here and there, we just kind of walk off and come back later and make some joke,” she shared with the outlet.
Parton’s sentiments are echoed by renowned relationship experts John and Julie Gottman. The Gottmans have long touted the power of what they call “repair techniques,” which are statements or actions made by either or both partners to “diffuse negativity and keep a conflict from escalating out of control.”
The Gottman’s dedicated years of research shows that the ability to quickly dissolve any conflict is the stand alone indicator as to the success of any marriage. In other words, conflict is inevitable, but what healthy couples have, whether they’re entirely conscious of it or not, is the ability to repair after conflict, and repair quickly. Hence why these techniques are called the “secret weapon” of emotionally connected couples.
Humor, aka a “willingness to turn toward another’s sense of silliness,” is considered to be a particularly potent repair technique. Which makes sense—think about how just one funny cat video can quickly brighten our day and soften those hard edges. In a similar sense, when our partner suddenly makes us laugh, suddenly we realize that maybe there doesn't need to be an all out war regarding whose turn it is to empty out the dishwasher.
Of course, humor can backfire when it comes from an insincere or condescending place, but when used mindfully it can help remind us that our partners are not our enemies. Quite the opposite in fact—they’re meant to share this wild and crazy roller coaster of a life with us.So, take it from psychologists, or the “I Will Always Love You” singer herself—when it comes to a relationship that stands the test of time, laughter can be the best medicine.
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."