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Old 11-16-2005, 05:15 PM
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Default Re: My girlfriend wants me to stop playing!

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She is taking a hard-line stance with him, why not return in kind? I certainly don't advocate an insta-breakup but it is quite clear to me that this is an attempt to control him. Regardless of how neglected she feels or how legitimate those feelings are, trying to direct his actions is inapropriate.

It shows an utter lack of respect for her boyfriend. There is a problem. Who has the problem: her. Who has to make the sacrifice: him. Why doesn't she make a change to spend more time with him?

There is not enough information to say whether he should break up with her but it is clear he should take a stand.

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Seriously - this is such primitive thinking.

Take a martial arts approach - don't respond with strength so that you are butting heads - instead, turn her strength against her.

Say to her

"look - I don't think the issue is really about my poker playing. I think that this issue is really about the time we spend together. So lets talk about that."

See? Simple. And at the end of the day, he doesn't have to change his poker playing at all because he decided to work on the REAL issue rather than getting into some stupid fight over a surface issue.

And I'd like to say to all of you that want to punish this woman for not having the guts to say what is really on her mind - you should all look in the mirror and ask yourself if you are ALWAYS able to express your desires in the way you want to your partners. I know that in my marriage, I often mistake what I think the issues are - and only when my wife says to me "is this what's really bothering you or is there something else going on?" that I am able to figure out the true issues.

If you allow your relationship to be about power AT ALL - whether its you who has it or her - then it is doomed to failure. A relationship is a partnership - and a partnership requires understanding.
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