How to Talk About Sensitive Topics Without Fighting
I have always found that after a period of time, conversations in relationships progress from the simple ones ((e. g. those regarding favorite movies or places for vacation), which may also include plans for Friday night) into more complex and delicate matters. It is at this point that we would talk issues touching across trust in each other, financial aspects, intimacy matters, relatives and families among other topics including whether or not both were looking forward to the same future plans. To begin with, I must confess that I did not handle them well. In the beginning, I was not very good at dealing with these types of conversations. I would deny them their space completely with the hope that they could just disappear or resolve magically on their own; alternatively, I would tackle them head-on but in such a defensive manner that it always ended up in quarrel. First off all it worked because nothing changed. One thing I know for sure now is that evading challenging discussions only makes matters burry deeper while approaching them defensively aggravates everything.
With time, I honed one key ability; it is how to discuss sensitive issues and avoid turning them into arguments. To add on, communication alone cannot explain this but rather trust plus closeness. As soon as our partner and we could communicate about them without fear or lack of respect for each other’s opinions, then our bond became very strong indeed. We began seeing ways in which we could grow together instead of merely scratching the surface and being terrified by every word spoken during such moments. This post contains my experience on what I think is the best way to go about sensitive conversations; so that you will be able to face them with bravery and kindness too.
