Marriage is like a bank account. You put it in, you take it out

The words of Irwin Corey — “Marriage is like a bank account. You put it in, you take it out, you lose interest.” — are laced with humor, yet beneath the laughter lies a current of profound truth. Corey, the philosopher of comedy, often cloaked his insights in jest, for he knew that the human heart is more willing to receive truth when it smiles. In this simple, witty line, he captures a timeless warning about the nature of love, effort, and complacency. Marriage, he suggests, is not self-sustaining. Like a bank account, it grows only when it is tended, when deposits of affection, patience, and understanding are made with care. But if one takes out more than one gives, if one ceases to invest the energy of the heart, the account empties — and interest fades away.

Irwin Corey, often called “The World’s Foremost Authority,” was known for blending absurdity and wisdom in equal measure. A comedian of intellect and irony, he held up a mirror to society’s habits and follies, using laughter to reveal truths about human relationships. His remark about marriage is no exception. Though framed as a joke, it carries the insight of a philosopher: that love requires maintenance. The initial passion, like a sudden windfall, can fill the heart with riches — but over time, if one grows idle or careless, that wealth dwindles. Thus, Corey's jest becomes a parable of human neglect, reminding us that the fortune of love depends not on luck, but on continuous, deliberate giving.

The meaning of this quote extends beyond its humor. Corey’s metaphor of the bank account suggests a relationship built on exchange and effort — an ever-flowing cycle of giving and receiving. In the beginning, love feels abundant, overflowing, effortless. One gives freely, speaks tenderly, forgives quickly. Yet as years pass, routine dulls the senses. The lovers who once paid close attention to each other’s hearts begin to take each other for granted. Withdrawals — small criticisms, unmet expectations, unspoken resentments — pile up, while deposits of kindness and gratitude grow fewer. Over time, the account of affection begins to run dry. And when there is nothing left to draw upon, interest — the excitement, curiosity, and passion of love — disappears.

The ancients spoke of love as a living flame — bright and fierce at first, but requiring careful tending to endure. In their wisdom, they saw that love dies not from great disasters, but from slow neglect. Consider the legend of King Solomon, who was said to possess great wisdom but fell into ruin when he ceased to nurture the love that bound his people and his God. Wealth and grandeur surrounded him, yet in the end, his heart grew cold and disinterested, consumed by vanity and distraction. In this tale we find the same truth that Corey wove in humor: that riches — whether of gold or love — are lost when taken for granted.

Yet not all stories end in decay. There are those who, through patience and effort, keep their account of love ever full. Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, for instance, endured betrayal, illness, and political strain, yet their partnership transformed into something greater than romance — a bond of shared purpose. They continued to “deposit” trust, respect, and compassion into one another’s lives, even when the early fire had cooled. Their marriage may not have been perfect, but it endured because they understood that love must be replenished, not merely remembered.

Irwin Corey’s wisdom, wrapped in jest, teaches us that laughter itself can be a form of truth. To “lose interest” in a marriage is not inevitable, but it happens when we forget that love, like money, grows only through investment. The humor of the quote hides a solemn warning: that indifference, the silent killer of love, creeps in when the heart stops giving. Just as a wise saver plans for the future, a wise lover tends daily to the small acts that sustain affection — a word of kindness, a gesture of gratitude, a moment of listening.

So, my children, take this teaching to heart: do not allow the bank of love to fall into neglect. Make daily deposits of tenderness and trust, and guard against the withdrawals of pride, anger, and complacency. Remember that interest, in both finance and affection, is born from attention — from caring enough to nourish what you have built. Let not laughter make you dismiss the lesson, for in jest there is prophecy. Those who tend to love with diligence will find it grows beyond measure; those who take it for granted will watch it fade into disinterest.

Thus, the wit of Irwin Corey becomes the wisdom of the ages: marriage, like all great treasures, is not sustained by chance, but by care. Invest in it daily, and it will yield joy beyond gold. Neglect it, and even the richest heart will one day find itself impoverished — not for lack of love, but for lack of effort.