Three Simple Sentences

In our last post we talked about Going the other way. So here’s an example of how you might do this.

The Three Sentences

Three simple sentences can change the way we discuss our upsets. They can become a profound exercise if taken seriously and done with gentleness. The point is to speak openly and honestly and to be willing to discover something new in ourselves and in our partner.

This requires a little practice and it’s good for clarifying what is actually happening for us and how we feel (which usually has the advantage of bridging a gap in a disagreement).

So here they are:

They look almost too simple don’t they?

A Closer Look

Let’s take a closer look at what each sentence does:

There are a few things to remember. This is a practice in taking responsibility, so the statements are all “I” statements. They are about us, not our partner. This is not an exercise in blame. It can reveal a lot about us and our vulnerabilities, so it needs to be agreed that we will support each other in this process.

And finally, a feeling is exactly that, a feeling. Usually one word, like “sad” or “glad”. A feeling is not “I feel that you are doing this, or I feel that you are being that”. A feeling is usually also felt in our body.

How We Argue

We rarely argue about what we think we are arguing about. Whether the issue is a small thing like not stacking the dishwasher “properly” or a bigger thing like having an affair, the way we argue is often ineffective in making a change, unless we can get to what we are really fighting about. It’s usually not the events, but instead something deeper. We only really argue about core values, but the events are pointers to these core values.

Let’s go through an example to demonstrate.

Example – At a Party

The Scene

You and your partner are at a party. There are a lot of people and one person in particular you know and can see your partner talking with. This person is very attractive and you know they are in a relationship, but you have heard rumours that they have had affairs. You feel something and later you and your partner have an argument about it. It goes something like this…

Why would you be talking with that person at the party? You know they have no respect for their partner, and why would you put our relationship in jeopardy? What if they tried to kiss you or made a pass at you?

Your partner says you are being irrational, nothing would happen, that person is not attracted to them, and even if they were there would be nothing to worry about.

I don’t want you talking with them again at least not alone

you say. Your partner gets more upset and a bit defensive. From here it declines into an argument.

You may need to cool off… and then you can try to figure out what is going on using the three simple sentences.

What You Might Say

You might reflect on this and think to yourself:

It may seem counter intuitive to share these feelings with our partner. But if they are willing to listen and if they are willing to try the three sentences then things have a chance of being seen from a new angle, and possibly resolved.

What Your Partner Might Say

Your partner might say:

Stopping the Argument

This is not always the easiest thing to do but it does tend to stop the argument and bring us back to what we are really feeling. What we are feeling can be seen and held in the relationship in a different way from blame and anger.

Try the Three Sentences

We suggest you try out the three sentences – even just thinking them through sometimes can help us get back into rational thinking. If you use them as a way of broaching difficult topics it can defuse disagreements before they become full scale arguments. They can help foster intimacy.

The three sentences take practice and initially need safety and an agreement to be gentle and try to understand each other. But when you know what you are really arguing about then things can be more easily resolved, and this reduces anxiety. It’s easier to talk about the fear of losing the relationship than being blamed for being jealous. In fact if our partner understands how we really feel they are more likely to feel moved than wrong. It’s more productive to talk about the discomfort of feeling our partner does not trust us than trying to figure out how not to inflame them.

It can be powerful to let our partner know what we think and feel, if it can be done without judgement. Then we have the opportunity to undo some of our negative beliefs and assumptions we’ve made up, and that don’t serve the relationship.

So try the three sentences to help build a deeper understanding of yourself and your partner and give us a call if you want some help to get started.

(Image: Lucien Guitry and Granne Granier, 1895, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec – detail)