Basically, relationships with other people are never-ending compromises. That might sound a little harsh, but it's true, isn't it? After all, we have to learn to be a little inconvenienced for the sake of other people, just as they have to learn the same for our sake.
Yet, this fact is a very tough pill to swallow for some. Seemingly, the OP's husband is one of these people. We say so because of how badly he reacts to the fact that his wife wants to watch her favorite TV show on Friday nights — exiling himself to the basement and then complaining about it. Doesn't seem like a healthy way to deal with a compromise, does it?
More info: Reddit
Relationships are based on compromises, but some people have a hard time accepting that
Image credits: Kaboompics.com / Pexels (not the actual photo)
On Friday nights, this woman loves to watch RuPaul’s Drag Race, as it's her favorite TV show
Image credits: RuPaul's Drag Race / Youtube (not the actual photo)
Her husband hates it, so any time she turns it on, he goes to the basement and sits there until it ends
Image credits: Getty Images / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
He also likes to point out how unfair it is that he has to go there just so his wife can watch some TV, despite it not being his only option — he could go to the bedroom instead
Image credits: ThisIsUrMoment
The woman, feeling that he's the one being unreasonable here, went online to ask for netizens' opinions on it
The OP and her husband live in a relatively small house, so naturally, their area to watch TV is not so big either.
So, they have to figure out ways to compromise on what and when they want to watch, something that many couples have to deal with, which is made apparent by discussions on forums like this one.
Some solve this by introducing their significant others to new genres, so they can watch the same things together, or trying out new genres together, while others like the original poster and her husband let each other watch TV separately.
Yet, what is also apparent is that in the author’s case, such an arrangement is causing a bit of problems for them.
Every Friday night, the OP likes to watch RuPaul’s Drag Race, a reality competition series, which has been airing since 2009. Ever since its debut, the show has become an undeniable global phenomenon, having successfully expanded beyond the American market due to a huge fan base. And, well, the original poster is certainly in this fanbase.
Her husband is the opposite of that. He dislikes the show so strongly, he feels the need to leave the room any time she watches it. So, during this hour and a half, he usually goes to their basement, which holds their area for working out, laundry, and storage.
Image credits: Timur Weber / Pexels (not the actual photo)
At some point, it started causing quite some trouble for their relationship. The man feels he shouldn’t be exiled to the basement after a hard day at work just so his wife can watch some TV show.
Yet, the woman refuses to record the show to watch it later, as she doesn’t want social media to spoil it. Typically, when watching fiction, people hate spoilers because they like to experience the emotions of finding out what happens while doing so, not before. And since, more often than not, reality TV shows tend to be staged to some extent, this explanation works for them too.
She thinks she’s being reasonable enough – she just wants an hour and a half to enjoy herself. After all, her husband doesn’t even have to go to the basement, he could simply go to the bedroom, but he chooses differently.
So, the woman went online to ask which of them is being unreasonable here. Well, to the majority of netizens, the man seemed like the jerk here. To some, it seems like he either simply doesn’t know how to share or has some expectations of his wife spending time with him on Friday night, but he doesn’t properly communicate it.
Well, it sounds like maybe he needs to work on his communication skills, and we don’t mean the whining kind. After all, as the saying goes, “communication is key”, meaning that expressing your actual thoughts and feelings can often prevent a situation from getting worse. That definitely should apply here, shouldn’t it?
What do you think, which of the spouses in the story is being unreasonable? Share your take in the comments!
Folks online supported her and pointed out that the man might have some expectations about his wife spending time with him instead of the TV, but doesn't properly communicate them
