A woman describes the challenges of navigating cultural differences with her husband, particularly regarding his aversion to discussing potential risks and his disregard for precautions she takes.
My husband and I come from different cultures and also have quite different personalities. We have navigated this pretty successfully for three decades, but there is an issue that has me at a breaking point. My husband (like his family and many in his culture of origin) does not like to think about a bad thing possibly happening, as it seems to invite the bad thing into life. He will dismiss the possible risks or say there is no point in taking precautions.
For instance, his parents refused to childproof their house. Even asking the grandparents to move a block of knives was interpreted as saying they wanted the children to be hurt, which is insulting. Thankfully our kids survived to adulthood. I take a different approach and try to anticipate and remove hazards. My husband will say he agrees, but then he will undo the precautions when I’m not looking. For instance, our dog just had surgery and the vet said to set up a small recovery pen to keep her from moving too much. It was supposed to be for two weeks. I talked to my husband, and he agreed we’d only take her out of the pen on a leash. Two days after the surgery, I came home and she was off leash and out of the pen, which was open. He said: “There’s nothing I can do. She wants to come out.” He’s been like this all our time together - to the extent that he will claim a relative with an end-stage terminal illness is “probably going to get better soon.” He comes from a high-context culture, so even if I say “I know you don’t want the bad thing to happen,” he immediately rewrites it into “she is saying I want the bad thing to happen.” I’ve had no luck asking him to just tell me if he doesn’t plan to abide by my precautions. I am feeling worn down because knowing precautions have been taken reduces my worry about the chances of a bad outcome. It’s a shock to feel that security removed. I’m starting to see this as an issue of not being able to trust him, and that feels toxic to the marriage
Culture Clash Trust Issues Communication Relationships Precaution
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
The culture of sports vs the culture of the elite leftSports dominate American culture. Stadiums dot our city skylines and the games are among the top shows on TV. Republicans should embrace this competitive culture of success.
Read more »
CNBC|SurveyMonkey Small Business Survey Reveals Surge in Optimism Among RepublicansThe Q4 2024 CNBC|SurveyMonkey Small Business Survey reveals a significant increase in optimism among Republican business owners, while Democratic business owners' outlook has declined. The survey also shows a growing belief among business owners that inflation has peaked, though this view is not yet widespread.
Read more »
Charles Lee doing more with less provides optimism for the Hornets' futureFriday's game against the Knicks was an impressive outing for the Charlotte Hornets.
Read more »
Leftist Cenk Uygur Admits Optimism Over Trump's Victory, Blames 'Establishment'Leftist 'The Young Turks' co-host Cenk Uygur expressed optimism over President-elect Donald Trump's victory, viewing it as a defeat for the establishment. This marks a significant shift from his previous stance, where he frequently criticized Trump.
Read more »
Optimism for Hamas hostage deal grows a bit following release of propaganda videoThe father of Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander, who grew up in New Jersey, spoke during a rally in Central Park on Sunday.
Read more »
Stocks Week Ahead: Extreme Optimism in Markets Could Meet a Volatility SurgeMarket Overview Analysis by Michael Kramer covering: Euro US Dollar, British Pound US Dollar, US Dollar Japanese Yen, US Dollar Swiss Franc. Read Michael Kramer's latest article on Investing.com
Read more »