Ideas for returning to each other.
Browse the Journal.
Search for something specific, or browse by format and topic.
Searches titles, descriptions, topics, categories, and the full text of every published Journal piece.
More topics
Listening
Practical ways to hear each other more fully before fixing, defending, or rushing to the next thing.
Search the Journal
Results from across all published Essays and Stories.

Stop Trying to Win the Argument You’re Both Losing
Sometimes the argument stops being about solving the problem and quietly becomes about proving who is right. Here’s how couples can disagree honestly, hold their ground when needed, and still remember they are arguing with someone they love—not opposing counsel.

When Your Spouse Wants Comfort and You Bring a PowerPoint
Sometimes your spouse needs a solution. Sometimes they need you to sit beside them and agree that today was awful. Learning the difference can change the way couples support each other.

EP 3: Eli Said “I’m Fine.” Naomi Believed Him.
Eli says he’s fine. Naomi makes the apparently reckless decision to believe him. What follows is a mildly ridiculous evening of sighs, hidden meanings, family interference, and one important discovery: being deeply known is not the same thing as being magically readable.

Your Spouse Is Not a Mind Reader. Unfortunately.
We want our spouse to know us deeply—but sometimes “you should just know” turns love into a guessing game. Here’s why clearer communication can actually make marriage feel more, not less, intimate.