Why is never fighting a bad thing?

Real_Deal

Don Juan
Joined
Apr 4, 2008
Messages
54
Reaction score
1
Location
Michigan
I have a question about the relationship I'm in. My girlfriend never disagrees with me and it annoys me. We have been living together for two years and any kind of disagreement ends with her backing down as soon as my opinion is different than hers. This seemed like a pretty good thing for a while but now it bugs me.

So is it strange that this bothers me to no end? I know this definitely is not a usual issue in a relationship and it's not terribly important in the end if anyone remembers my last thread. Still I just don't understand why a woman never disagreeing with me seems like such an annoyance.

I'm not saying I wish I was with a pushy B1tch or something. I just don't understand why in two years I went from enjoying having an agreeable woman to being annoyed with her lack of self esteem and confidence.
 

Mr. Me

Master Don Juan
Joined
Dec 19, 2007
Messages
1,357
Reaction score
84
There's a type of personality aspect called the "Conflict Avoider". This may be her. If so, pay good attention to what I'm going to tell you.

You see, those types claim on the surface that they agree "for harmony's sake". They want to "make everyone happy", they say. They want to "keep the peace". They may (erroneously) believe that not having any disagreements makes for a happier relationship.

The truth is, they have an inward fear of asserting themselves. They would rather lie then be honest with you. It's as if they're scared you wouldn't be able to "work" with them if they opened up to you. Or, if you have a history of losing your temper and yelling and/or verbally, emotionally or physically abusing them, they'll keep quiet as well. I'm trusting it's not the latter in your case, though her lowered self esteem makes me question what's been going on in your relationship. Do you show her your annoyance with her? Do you argue that her viewpoint is wrong? Do you belittle, dismiss or discount her feelings or views on matters because you think she's got it wrong? Do you feel you're always right? When you have arguments and conflict does it mean acting in an angry or mean fashion? These are all a matter of learning better how to resolve conflicts agreeably. Just covering the possibilities.

Suffice it to say that what happens very typically with these "avoider" types is that, though they appear to have agreed on the outside, inside, they are angry. They feel like they never get their way. This anger, because it's directed inward, is very damaging, and leads to depression. Very often, just about every time, conflict avoidance is a precursor to the relationship breaking up, as that anger, frustration and resentment build.

You're going to have to lead her through this. When she agrees so readily, YOU have to not let her. "Honey, I get the feeling that, even though you've just agreed, it's not really where your heart is?" Listen to your gut here to suss out how she really feels. Get her to open up. Show her that it's safe to do so. Don't attack her viewpoints, even if you don't agree with them. You don't have to agree with them, you just have to put yourself in her shoes for a moment and UNDERSTAND them.

Everyone's entitled to their views, even if they're wrong. And her feelings? Those she's entitled to, and there is no argument that she can't feel however she wishes to feel. That's her stuff. Just listen and understand without judgment or interruption. That's what she needs from you.

Once you get where she's coming from, even if it's off the wall to you, remember that it's a big world, and not everyone sees things the same way, and yet, it has to work out somehow. So the way to work it out is to reach a TRUE compromise.

Now, a true compromise is NOT: "We'll do my way this time, and then next time, we'll do what you want" or "We'll do it your way this time but next time we'll do what I want". Someone always feels that they lost and that the other person won when that happens. That doesn't stop resentment from building.

A TRUE compromise has to be a win-win situation. That's the goal in resolving any conflicts.

Hope this helps.
 

Real_Deal

Don Juan
Joined
Apr 4, 2008
Messages
54
Reaction score
1
Location
Michigan
That was worthwhile reading Mr. Me thanks for posting it.
 

KontrollerX

Master Don Juan
Joined
Oct 11, 2005
Messages
4,479
Reaction score
182
The more well known term for what Mr. Me is getting at is the passive aggressive personality.

Does your girl ever seem to indicate any anger or resentment towards you by using moods Real Deal?

Does she ever sulk, go silent or anything of that nature to indicate her displeasure over a situation.

Just avoiding conflict is enough to be passive aggressive but these other negative behaviours usually go along with it.
 

Real_Deal

Don Juan
Joined
Apr 4, 2008
Messages
54
Reaction score
1
Location
Michigan
Yeah KontrollerX she does sulk and do all the stuff your talking about. She never explains it when she's done either. She might be super angry for no particular reason for an hour and then say it's nothing important and change totally.

For two years I was more than super AFC so I never wanted to rock the boat or question her. I figured as long as she wasn't violent or anything I wouldn't worry about it.
 

Rollo Tomassi

Master Don Juan
Joined
Oct 4, 2004
Messages
5,309
Reaction score
340
Age
56
Location
Nevada
Lets take a look at your conditions; 1st off, why are you living with her? You've been living together for 2 years, so this has been on going since you were 23. This is your first mistake. 2nd, who pays the majority of the bills? Do you rent? What's your living situation like? How old is she?

90% of the time when a person consistently backs down in conflict situations it's due to a subconscious recognition of power. My guess is you're dealing with the Cardinal Rule of Relationships:

In any relationship, the person with the most power is the one who needs the other the least.

On some level she realizes she needs you more than you need her. My guess is this is based on your living arrangement. She's doing the standard passive-aggressive routine that most women will when they recognize their position of powerlessness - sulk, sublimate, resentment, etc.
 

Real_Deal

Don Juan
Joined
Apr 4, 2008
Messages
54
Reaction score
1
Location
Michigan
Rollo Tomassi said:
On some level she realizes she needs you more than you need her. My guess is this is based on your living arrangement.
You are correct on that count. Don't worry I'm coming out of the matrix quickly enough. Since coming here and starting to open my eyes I have started having head slap realizations about exactly what an AFC I was.

I have paid all her living expenses for two years. She's never "managed" to make enough to do more than pay her bills she came into the relationship with. She hates her job but has no ambition to do anything but sit on MY couch and watch MY big screen TV every night. Her ever expanding fat ass hardly touches the exercise room I financed for her on a whim.
A year into living in MY house where I pay for everything sex is almost a thing of the past. etc etc etc

No worries though my eyes are open now. At the moment I'm just interested in why I was the way I was. Understanding why I acted like such an AFC is going to help me avoid that kind of behavior in the future. Thats why I started this thread.

lol getting that bit of weight off my chest felt pretty good though.
 

Rollo Tomassi

Master Don Juan
Joined
Oct 4, 2004
Messages
5,309
Reaction score
340
Age
56
Location
Nevada
Real_Deal said:
I have paid all her living expenses for two years. She's never "managed" to make enough to do more than pay her bills she came into the relationship with. She hates her job but has no ambition to do anything but sit on MY couch and watch MY big screen TV every night. Her ever expanding fat ass hardly touches the exercise room I financed for her on a whim.
A year into living in MY house where I pay for everything sex is almost a thing of the past. etc etc etc
NEXT.


And just to use your current misfortune as a warning sign to the rest of the members,...

Iron Rule of Tomassi #4

NEVER under any circumstance live with a woman you aren't married to or are not planning to marry in within 6 months.

You are utterly powerless in this situation. NEVER buy a home with a girlfriend, NEVER sign a rental lease with a girlfriend. NEVER agree to move into her home and absolutely NEVER move a woman into your own established living arrangement. I'm adamantly opposed to the "shacking up" dynamic, it is a trap that far too many men allow themselves to fall into. My fervor agianst this isn't based on some moral issue, it it simple pragmatism. I know a fellow right now who is in the pit of misery with a girl he signed an apartment lease with for a year and has had to basically live with his ex for the past 5 months and wont get out of the lease until May. If you live with a woman you may as well be married because upon doing so every liability and accountability of marriage is then in effect. You not only lose any freedom of annonymity you commit to, legally, being responsible for the continuation of your living arrangements regardless of how your relationship decays.

I should also emphasize the point that when you commit (and it is a financial committment) to cohabiting with a GF you will notice a marked decrease in her sexual availability and desire, trust me on this. All of that competitive anxiety and it's resulting sexual tension that made your single sex life so great is removed from her shoulders and she can comfortably relax in the knowledge that she is your ONLY source of sexual intimacy. Putting your name on that lease with her (even if it's just your name) is akin to signing an insurance polcy for her - "I the undersigned promise not to fukk any woman but this girl for a one year term." She thinks, "if he wasn't serious about me, he wouldn't have signed the lease." Now all of that impetus and energy that made having marathon sex with you an outright necessity is relaxed. She controls the frame and she's got it in writing that it is for at least a year.

Just don't do it. Relationships last best when you spin more plates or at the very least keep each other at arm's distance. Look how this applies to your situation here.
 

reset

Master Don Juan
Joined
Mar 25, 2007
Messages
2,200
Reaction score
59
Rollo Tomassi said:
Just don't do it. Relationships last best when you spin more plates or at the very least keep each other at arm's distance. Look how this applies to your situation here.
but you're married.
 

You essentially upped your VALUE in her eyes by showing her that, if she wants you, she has to at times do things that you like to do. You are SOMETHING after all. You are NOT FREE. If she wants to hang with you, it's going to cost her something — time, effort, money.

Quote taken from The SoSuave Guide to Women and Dating, which you can read for FREE.

KontrollerX

Master Don Juan
Joined
Oct 11, 2005
Messages
4,479
Reaction score
182
Rollo has explained in the past to keep a marriage together it needs a healthy tension reset which pretty much means both parties should have their own lives and interests in addition to the life that they live with eachother and also both should keep themselves in good shape which leads to members of the opposite sex taking notice which sends the covert message to the marriage partner that should one of the members of the union cheat or do someother kind of dealbreaker the one who initiates the divorce on the cheating scumbag will do so without looking back as well move on easily like the marriage was nothing at all.
 

reset

Master Don Juan
Joined
Mar 25, 2007
Messages
2,200
Reaction score
59
Lol, that's cool. I don't want to move in with a chick just to move in or get married just to get married. That's probably the big difference. Before I thought that was life's goal.
 

Latinoman

Master Don Juan
Joined
Apr 21, 2006
Messages
4,031
Reaction score
57
reset said:
but you're married.
I was married longer than him...and I can assure you the reason I kept my wife (at the time) very interested in me was by applying DJ principles (although, I didn't call them DJ at the time). There is not doubt in my mind he is applying the same (positive masculinity).
 

The Bat

Master Don Juan
Joined
Dec 12, 2007
Messages
1,035
Reaction score
60
Rollo, where are these Iron Rules you keep mentioning? Thread link, please.

Real Deal, so what do you plan on doing with your g/f now that you've realized your AFC behavior and attitude?
 

Never try to read a woman's mind. It is a scary place. Ignore her confusing signals and mixed messages. Assume she is interested in you and act accordingly.

Quote taken from The SoSuave Guide to Women and Dating, which you can read for FREE.

Mr. Me

Master Don Juan
Joined
Dec 19, 2007
Messages
1,357
Reaction score
84
She might be super angry for no particular reason for an hour and then say it's nothing important and change totally.
The thing is, it is something important - to her - and she's not letting you in on it and putting on a false front. But she's keeping notes. Women are like elephants when it comes to their memories.

Your other big problem is that you've established a pattern in this relationship where you're basically supporting her by paying the major bills and putting a roof over her head and she's not pulling her ever increasing weight.

This is going to eat at you from inside out. You're way too young to be trapped like that, not that a guy should be trapped like that at any age.

It's time to have a talk with her: If she's not your Co-Pilot, then she's cargo.
 

betterthandead

Senior Don Juan
Joined
Sep 2, 2007
Messages
297
Reaction score
7
Some of you guys don't like a girl that's too agreeable or too non-opinionated. Sorry but that's their personality. Maybe you both aren't compatible. Perhaps your personality would prefer someone who have an opinion of their own. I too thought of this, and I dated a couple girls that were strong headed loud mouthed, I can say that t's not what it's cracked up to be, especially if you like things being relaxed.
 

lookyoung

Master Don Juan
Joined
Dec 21, 2006
Messages
1,303
Reaction score
36
Location
Chicago
Now I know I am more old school than most of the guys on here. But I think a woman should be on the submissive side when it comes to conflicts. Do you want a woman who is going to butt heads with you on every conflict? I rather have a woman that usually lets me have things my way. As long as I am being fair about the situation. I don't consider that too be boring. I think woman are more likely to consider a man boring who agrees with everything they say than we are.

I think a woman who will not argue with you on stupid sh1t is a feminine trait. And I find that to be very attractive and a major turn on for me.
 

LeftyLoosey

Don Juan
Joined
Sep 18, 2007
Messages
195
Reaction score
18
I prefer an open-minded woman who is willing to listen to an opposing point-of-view, rationalize it, and come to her own conclusion based on the facts before her.

I also prefer unicorns and easter bunnies but who am I to judge.
 

If you want to talk, talk to your friends. If you want a girl to like you, listen to her, ask questions, and act like you are on the edge of your seat.

Quote taken from The SoSuave Guide to Women and Dating, which you can read for FREE.

Top