3 ways you might be disrespecting your spouse on accident

Has your spouse ever said or done something that made you want to cry or punch a wall, but they seemed completely oblivious to the fact that they hurt you (which which probably made you even more frustrated)?

I think this has happened to all of us who have been married for any length of time. We may be good at dodging the big, obvious forms of disrespect, but the subtle little lack of thoughtfulness in a marriage can creep in at unexpected times.

Here are three of the major culprits…

(In no particular order):

1. Volunteering your spouse for something without consulting him/her.

I’ve made this mistake before. It’s usually motivated by wanting to help out a friend or some other “good” reason, but there’s never an excuse to make those kinds of decision for your spouse.

2. Posting something unflattering on social media.

Venting about your spouse on social media is obviously out of bounds, but we don’t always think about asking to post a picture of our spouse that they might feel is unflattering (aka a “fat” pic). It shows respect and thoughtfulness to ask first. Give them a chance to photoshop it!

3. Pointing out flaws in his/her body.

Couples should encourage each other towards healthy lifestyles, but it’s not helpful to joke or nag about your spouse’s imperfections (physical or otherwise). For more on this, check out my popular post on 4 things you should NEVER say to your spouse.

There are plenty more examples of ways we unintentionally hurt each other, but in every case, the bottom line is this…Always be thoughtful with each other. Thoughtfulness is the invisible fuel that keeps a marriage going strong!

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