Whether we like it or not, conflicts are inevitable in any long-term relationship. Nearly everyone knows that finding someone you can be completely honest with comes with many ups and downs that reveal the most annoying behaviors imaginable. But while some disagreements can get seriously spicy, partners also often lose control and get angry over absolutely nothing.
Attorney, advocate, and author Rabia Chaudry set out on a mission to discover the stupidest and most meaningless arguments married couples "just cannot, will not stop having". Her Twitter thread quickly blew up with people opening up about the most infuriating habits their spouses have that make them fight about it for years.
From never squishing out the sponge to refusing to close the drawers all the way, every couple has things they repeatedly return to because both sides refuse to back down. Continue scrolling because we’ve selected some of the funniest examples from the thread. Upvote the ones you can relate to all too well, and be sure to share your own pet peeves with us in the comments!
Image credits: rabiasquared
This post may include affiliate links.
Mine leaves the sponge in the sink, every time, and it's always in the one spot with water and the food he didn't clean out. I have to throw it out
If Rabia Chaudry’s name sounds familiar, it might be because she’s the author of the New York Times bestselling book Adnan's Story. She has also amassed quite a following on Twitter where almost 202K users are engaged in what she has to say and, luckily for us, share their own funny and genuine stories. The post in question, which has received over 19K likes, proved that couples all over the world get peeved off by the most foolish things.
Hundreds of replies on this thread had to do with household tasks not being completed correctly. Well, at least in their partner's eyes. But whether you’re in a meaningful relationship or decided to tie the knot, sharing a space together is bound to be at least a bit of a challenge. At the bare minimum, you’ll have a partner that tells you you never fold the socks right.
I believe some decorative plastic fruit would solve this problem. No rotting = no more buying fruit.
When you decide to be with one person for a long time, it's only natural for the quirks you found sweet at the beginning of the relationship to irritate you as time flies. But those little habits sure have a way of blowing up into a major argument or at least something you always have at the back of your mind.
But not all fights are created equal. While some are more severe and worth talking through, others are downright ridiculous and illogical. "Partners often say, 'We argue over stupid things,'" licensed relationship therapist Dr. Jason N. Linder wrote in Psychology Today. "This is somewhat true. That said, there are a lot more things partners are actually arguing about under the surface than what meets the eye, especially for the partners themselves."
We have a TV series about these people: Help, my husband is a handyman.
"Focusing on the content of arguments (i.e who forgot to mail the important package) misses the forest for the trees. What fights are really about is the emotional safety in a relationship, partner's subjective sense of the other’s caring from them (or being there for them), and fear that they will get hurt."
He explained that getting to what’s underneath leads us to the cause of arguments and relationship distress. "Partners need to learn to reach out to each other with those feelings such as sadness about the disconnection, feelings of failure or inadequacy, or fear of rejection.”
Unfortunately, it might be easy to fall into the trap of thinking that fighting with your partner is a bad sign for the relationship itself. But we all know that every single couple has had at least one or two arguments. In fact, experts say that such disagreements can also be beneficial.
"I am more worried about my clients who say they never argue with their partners,” Maryann W. Mathai, a licensed counselor who specializes in helping people heal from toxic relationships, told Bustle. "It signals passivity, emotions being ignored, or a lack of self in the relationship — all of which are unhealthy."
Next time put their laundry around the washing machine. When there are no clean clothes for them anymore, they will understand.
I can sympathize with this, as you may have water on the floor if the shower is not closed off enough, and open drawers kill shinbones.
Chores and other responsibilities are some of the most common argument topics between married couples. It’s important to distinguish, however, whether these silly quarrels are healthy or toxic for your relationship. For example, if you start nitpicking your partner about the way they wash the dishes but end up blatantly declaring you dislike the company of their parents, that’s a red flag for toxic communication patterns. When arguing, you stay focused on the topic and issue at hand, so avoid looking for opportunities to air other grievances.
Ahh... I guess I remove eggs like OP's wife... because we usually grab the carton from one end or the other, not in the front 'n' center... so the weight is evenly distributed...
Mathai explained that while it is normal to need space after a disagreement, routinely withdrawing for days at a time shows your fights could be toxic. "Researchers have shown that stonewalling, the term for withdrawing and avoidance, is a predictor of divorce," she added. "Shutting down and emotionally leaving the conversation will trigger the other partner to feel alone and overwhelmed."
"You both may have different needs or time frames to cool down after an argument, but a sign of healthy relationships is [that] couples come back to each other quickly," Mathai explained. "There is truth behind the old saying 'Never go to bed angry.'"
After all, we're all guilty of having weird little quirks that might annoy people around us. Some of these behaviors are more benign, others are pretty bizarre. But as they say, communication is key, so if you find a way to talk through them and even sometimes kindly poke fun at them, you might be on the right path.
I feel like the couples arguing over bars of soap should switch to liquid body wash. :)
omg... my dad was like this... no matter how much time he had before the family had to leave for whatever... the MOMENT we're supposed to go out the door.... he had to go to the bathroom. It was. so. odd.
Meanwhile he’s like “My wife is great, always puts gas in my car for me!”
Pretend you didn't hear that he said something and keep pretending until he speaks so you can understand him. Rinse and repeat for as long as it takes to get the message home. I took me 6 weeks to teach my wife that, since I'm getting deaf, I can't hear her when she's whispering from the other side of the room.
Put it in random places. On his pillow, his dashboard, in his drawers, at a crime scene.
I've learned to preface some questions with "It's yes or no question. One-word answer only. (Fill in question)." B/c I got tired of essay answers to yes-no questions. We've gotten around it over the years, but twenty-five years ago? It'd take him ten minutes to answer "yes" or "no" or for me to work out which it was. And the question would be something like, "Do you want dessert?"
My ex said it was an "accident" when she slept with someone else. What does that mean? He tripped and his d**k fell into your vagina?
Wanna swap? I'm like that, if it's important put it away. My partner leaves everything anywhere and when he can't find it, he'd buy a new one or ask for a copy. Then leaves it anywhere and buys a third one when he can't find the previous two. I lost count of how many superglue, toothpick packs, torches, sealants and tin openers I found last time I went on a cleanup bender
Dirty socks. He leaves his everywhere but the hamper. Stairs. Floors. Tabletops. Chairs. *top of the refrigerator*. We came to an understanding about 15 years ago (we're together about 30) taht socks left outside hampers are not to be laundered, and socks atop the fridge are *trash*. That at least got the dirty socks out of the kitchen.
He leaves clothes all over the house (except the laundry basket). If i dont clean the ones that are "dirty" he gets anoyed. But if i clean all and he considers that some "were clean" he gets anoyed as well. How am I supposed to know which ones are which? Just put the f*****g dirty clothes in the basket and the others aside. I have a drawer for my "I can still reuse" clothes. Its not rcoket science. Also he refuses to separate clothes (I used to do a normal and a delicate wash) but then he complains that his tshirts get old fast... Men!
I'm all for if they don't like the way I do the laundry, they can do their own and get mad at themselves when it's not done right.
Load More Replies...My mom's big one. Dad will use like 3 pans just to make breakfast and leaves for work without cleaning up after himself.
Dirty socks. He leaves his everywhere but the hamper. Stairs. Floors. Tabletops. Chairs. *top of the refrigerator*. We came to an understanding about 15 years ago (we're together about 30) taht socks left outside hampers are not to be laundered, and socks atop the fridge are *trash*. That at least got the dirty socks out of the kitchen.
He leaves clothes all over the house (except the laundry basket). If i dont clean the ones that are "dirty" he gets anoyed. But if i clean all and he considers that some "were clean" he gets anoyed as well. How am I supposed to know which ones are which? Just put the f*****g dirty clothes in the basket and the others aside. I have a drawer for my "I can still reuse" clothes. Its not rcoket science. Also he refuses to separate clothes (I used to do a normal and a delicate wash) but then he complains that his tshirts get old fast... Men!
I'm all for if they don't like the way I do the laundry, they can do their own and get mad at themselves when it's not done right.
Load More Replies...My mom's big one. Dad will use like 3 pans just to make breakfast and leaves for work without cleaning up after himself.