Your relationship seems wrought with arguments. You wonder often if there is something wrong with you or if it’s your partner. Are you the loser? Is your partner the loser? Are you both losers? It’s not an easy determination to make. It’s difficult to be in a relationship and also be able to analyze the relationship objectively.
I’ll share some Loser Moves the boy in my story often used that you might want to look out for the next time you’re trapped in an argument with your significant other.
Loser Move #1 – Immediate Judgment
Your phone rings. You don’t answer it. Your partner asks why. You say because you weren’t in the mood to talk to your sister and you’ll call her back later. He immediately wants to see your phone because he doesn’t believe you. He thinks it’s some guy you’re trying to keep secret.
Loser Move #2 – Name-Calling
You refuse to show him your phone because his accusations are absurd. He calls you a liar. He calls you a whore. He says you can’t be trusted.
Loser Move #3 – The Blame Game
You tell him that he’s being unreasonable and you try walking away. You don’t want to fight over a phone call. He says he wouldn’t fight if you hadn’t made him suspicious in the first place. Not answering your phone was suspicious, and it’s your fault he’s angry.
Loser Move #4 – If You Really Loved Me!
You start to walk away. He cries, “If you really loved me you would show me your phone and prove me wrong.” You don’t show him your phone because you know that if he loved you he’d trust you.
Loser Move #5 – The Silent Treatment
He completely shuts down, turns up the television, and ignores you. You ask him if he wants dessert because you’re dishing out some ice cream for yourself. He doesn’t answer you. You ask him to please answer you. He ignores you. You go about your business.
Loser Move #6 – Gas lighting
He turns down the TV and walks toward the table where you’re eating your ice cream. With his hand resting on his hip, he asks you why you didn’t ask him if he wanted any. You say that you did ask him. He says you didn’t. You explain that he might not have heard you because the TV was so loud. He says the TV wasn’t that loud; you didn’t ask him.
Loser Move #7 – Demand for an Apology
He tells you he deserves an apology for your inconsiderateness. You start feeling guilty because you realize you could have walked up to him and asked him instead of shouting across the kitchen and into the living room. You feel a little guilty and ashamed. You tell him you’re sorry.
Loser Move #8 – Straw-Man Defense
After apologizing, he says, “See, so you should have just shown me your phone when I asked you to show it to me. You are obviously ashamed. Who is the guy who is calling you?” You sit there puzzled and confused and begin to explain that you apologized for not serving him ice cream. You still aren’t sorry that you didn’t show him your phone. He should trust that it was your sister. You have given him no reason to believe otherwise.
Loser Move #9 – Playing the Victim
He begins to breakdown, “You don’t love me. You don’t understand that I NEED you to love me. I NEED you. You are my soul mate. You are the love of my life. You are the only one for me. You make me feel so unwanted. You are so cruel to me. All I ever wanted was for you to love me.” You sit dumbfounded as the tears roll down his cheek. You say, “Are you serious? You started this argument because you didn’t trust me when I said the call was from my sister. How is all of this my fault now? Look what you did to get us to this point.”
Loser Move #10– The Rage
He doesn’t like the idea of looking at himself. Instead, he screams, “Get the F#@% out of MY house!!!” Again, you are dumbfounded. You just stand there. He screams more expletives and calls you more names and finally you find yourself on the outside of the house with no shoes, no purse, and nowhere to go.
A healthy relationship doesn’t look like that ^^^^!!
Here is what a healthy relationship looks like:
Your phone rings. You don’t answer it. Your partner asks why. You say because you weren’t in the mood to talk to your sister and you’ll call her back later. Your partner says, “Okay. Let’s have some ice cream!”
Life is so simple if we allow it to be. Namaste!
You are a treasure with so much valuable information.
Thank you, Shirley.
great post! and oh so true!
been there myself! so glad I don’t have that anymore
keep talking Paula!
OMG! He DID videotape our conversations and sent them to YOU! LOL…Crazy shit. Glad its gone
I god the amount of times this one has played out in my life is ridiculous!!
well written, have a great day/night Paula xx
Paula,
I agree with the comments of this post. Well written and described perfectly.
I am so impressed by your ability, Paula, to actually describe in words, this bizarre interaction! The way it starts with something so incredibly innocuous and simple. And lasts all night and sometimes for days. And I never ever knew when or what would trigger one of these. Most everything really. Oh, the insane frustration! Your description here, the blow by blow, is EXACTLY what happens. You’re just left going Huh???
I’m at this other place (after living with this hour by hour, day after day for 2 and a half years) where now: “the phone rings, you don’t answer it.” Period. No more discussion. Go back to whatever was happening. Have ice cream, laugh, dance, sing, enjoy! Thanks again, Paula for having such courage and wherewithal to be able to really write this stuff in detail so I can remember and know that the communication REALLY was that crazy!
How many times did I have that exact conversation! Criminy. It’s so exhausting.
Me too!!
i love this it’s so good and exactly what they’re like! it actually reminds me of a story about the father i might have to blog about…lol
Yes Paula , your last statement in blog is accurate. Flush all the loser moves down the toilet..stomp on them , burn them, just rid your soul
Thank you, Becki. It’s nice not to deal with these tiresome moves anymore.
Nope not at all….. kick em to the curb
It was an amazing thing to suddenly be in a HEALTHY relationship now…its weird, its SO much easier!
And it feels good!! Hehe!