How to Argue With Your Partner Without Damaging Your Relationship
Navigating conflict can improve your marriage if handled right.
I’ve always hated conflict. When I was younger, I used to avoid people who hurt or wronged me, in the hope of having a conflict-free existence. Occasionally I’d dabble in a bit of passive-aggressivity when I had to interact with someone who’d upset me.
Of course, now I realize that avoidance and passive-aggressivity are immature behaviors. Worse, they can result in escalating or creating more conflict — the last thing someone who hates conflicts wants to do.
Still, conflict and disagreements are an inevitable part of life. You can’t avoid your partner, so that’s not an option. And over the long run, passive-aggressive behavior can destroy a relationship. So our only genuine option is to work through them.
If you “win”, then your partner “loses”, and do you really want to make your spouse into a loser? I hope not.
Over the years I’ve discovered some simple strategies that help me navigate disagreements and arguments with my husband and those I love (as well as those I love less) so I can regain my beloved peace, tranquility and conflict-free existence as…
