Butting Out of Your Relationship

Written by The Relate Institute

“I love you, but you’re being ridiculous right now.”

“I’m sorry you’re hurt, but what I said was true.”

“I shouldn’t have done that, but you shouldn’t have said what you did.”

All three of these statements are ones you may have said or heard in your own relationship, and as well-intended as they may be, they are completely useless. The first part of the statement – the apology or admission of love – is retracted as soon as it is followed up with a contradicting “but.”

The word “but” is: “used to introduce something contrasting with what has already been mentioned,” and therefore is the last thing you want to hear following a compliment or an apology. Yet so many of us seem to rely on that double edged tactic.

I hear statements like these a lot in sessions with couples in distress. As they try to communicate with one another, they struggle to allow themselves to be left defenseless. Years, months, or even weeks of feeling like enemies rather than teammates has left each partner feeling as though if they don’t speak up for themselves, no one else will. If they leave off the “but” part of their apologies, everything in the relationship will be pinned on them, and that is just too scary or unfair of a thought, so the “but," comes every time.

READ: MARRIED LOVE IS WAY BETTER THAN NEW LOVE

The problem with “but” statements is simple. Such statements mean neither spouse is getting what they feel they need to move past the hurt in the relationship. Apologies can’t be accepted when they don’t feel genuine, and it becomes more difficult for partners to apologize in return, when all they hear is “I’m sorry, but…”

Sometimes I hear justifications like, “I DID apologize, she just didn’t accept it.” The problem is if your partner only apologizes by using a “but,” it’s hard to believe that they feel your feelings are valid at all, and how can you be vulnerable with someone who doesn’t feel your feelings are valid? With every “but” statement that hits, you only have more proof that you are alone and can only look out for number one.
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This doesn’t mean that you need to just take full responsibility for everything that has gone wrong in the relationship, nor does it mean you can’t voice your feelings of hurt. Instead, we all need to delete our buts and use some periods instead.

Take the time to try and hear these statements as though they are coming from a friend or a partner:

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that, but I felt as though you were attacking me.”

Versus  

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. I felt as though you were attacking me.”

or

“I really love that you cleaned up, but could you finish putting the dishes away?”

Versus  

“I really love that you cleaned up. Could you finish putting the dishes away?”

In all of these statements, only one thing was changed, however, the statements with pauses instead of buts sound so much more soft and are much easier to accept as genuine.

READ: 3 WAYS TO NURTURE UNITY IN MARRIAGE

Granted, this is just the simplest possible way to make your statements softer and more genuine towards your partner. You can also utilize other tactics such as using feeling words and avoiding “you” statements. However, removing your “but”s is a good place to start. Next time you hear yourself offering up a contradictory apology, take a second to try it again, this time with a pause. Allow your “I love you,” or your “I’m sorry,” to stand alone to take full effect. Then follow up with your own concerns. They still matter.

For more tips on how to better communicate in your relationship, try taking the RELATE assessment now. Use the promo code: NURTUREMARRIAGE to get 30% off!

Photo Credit:Caitlinn Mahar-Daniels

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