WON’T TALK ABOUT ANYTHING SERIOUS

“YEAH, BUT . . .

MY SPOUSE IS THE person you talked about earlier. You know, I try to hold a meaningful discussion, I try to work through an important problem, and he or she simply withdraws. What can I do?”

The Danger Point

It’s common to blame others for not wanting to stay in dialogue as if it were some kind of genetic disorder. That’s not the problem. If others don’t want to talk about tough issues, it’s because they believe that it won’t do any good. Either they aren’t good at dialogue, or you aren’t, or you both aren’t—or so they think.

The Solution

Work on me first. Your spouse may have an aversion to all crucial conversations, even when talking to a skilled person. Nevertheless, you’re still the only ...

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