How you divide the housework with your significant other, when both of you are employed full-time, is incredibly important. If you don’t do this fairly, someone will have to take on the lion’s share of the chores and will start feeling resentful.
A woman asked the AITA online community for its thoughts on an emotionally messy situation in her marriage. She revealed how her husband, who is a big video game enthusiast, insulted her cooking at a dinner party with friends. And so, she decided to stop cooking for him entirely, which made him mad. Check out the full story and the internet’s reactions below.
Most people would be incredibly appreciative if their partner chose to cook for them. Most... but not all
Image credits: Elina Fairytale / Pexels (not the actual photo)
This woman shared how her husband, who never had an issue with her food, insulted her cooking in public
Image credits: wayhomestudio / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Image credits: SHVETS production / Pexels (not the actual photo)
She later clarified a few details
Image credits: Picklepiebanana
Image credits: Gustavo Fring / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Good, open, honest communication is the foundation of healthy relationships
One of the most fundamental things that keeps romantic (and to be honest, any) relationships happy and healthy is open and honest communication. If you have an issue with your partner, you need to respect them enough to address it. But how you address it matters as much, if not more, than the facts that you share.
It’s common sense, but you shouldn’t go around insulting your significant other. It’s even worse if you criticize them publicly, in front of family or friends. You should address your problems privately and discreetly, without sounding like you’re accusing your partner of anything. Use lots of “I” statements, try to look for a compromise, and most definitely take their perspective into account.
However, all of this requires being emotionally intelligent in the first place. That means being aware of your emotions as well as those of others, being able to manage how your feelings affect your behavior, and understanding how your behavior affects other people.
If you never voice any concerns with your partner, only to burst out some particularly awful comments about them in public, you probably have low emotional intelligence.
It’s also deeply dishonest to make your partner feel like everything is going well, only for you to twist things around by revealing your ‘true’ feelings.
Image credits: Andrea Piacquadio / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Individuals with low emotional intelligence are unable to express their needs and are very impulsive
Emotionally intelligent people tend to have better control over their emotions, are more effective communicators, are better decision makers, and tend to have healthier relationships. They are less impulsive, think before they react, and are more in-tune with their partner’s feelings. On the flip side, emotionally unintelligent individuals are often unable to express their needs, feelings, desires, or concerns.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, one way to improve your emotional intelligence is to begin taking more responsibility for your actions, especially if they have negative consequences for others.
A big part of this is setting your ego aside and being humble and open enough to ask others for feedback. That way, you’ll be clear about what you can do differently.
Other ways to boost your emotional intelligence include setting and respecting healthy boundaries, as well as working on your active listening skills.
“Setting healthy boundaries helps you protect your values and maintain your goals. But acknowledging and respecting other people’s boundaries is just as important, too. You never want to make someone feel unworthy, unsafe or disrespected. Do whatever you can to treat others the way you want to be treated,” the Cleveland Clinic explains.
Meanwhile, active listening means genuinely listening to the person you’re speaking with, not just waiting for your turn to speak. This requires your full focus and attention, as well as a genuine desire to understand their perspective.
We’d like to hear your insights and perspectives in the comments, Pandas. How would you react if your partner insulted your cooking, or something else that you do, in front of your social circle? How do you divide up the household chores fairly at home? What would you do if your significant other complained about your food but refused to cook because they spent a ton of time video gaming?
After reading the story, some folks asked for more context
Here's how the internet reacted to the shocking relationship story. Most were very supportive of the woman
However, some internet users had a different, very unpopular take on things
