The thing about relationships is that there’s a lot of talk about respect, which is important. Vitally so. But we rarely talk about the corner cases where it’s necessary to disrespect with love.
“Respect” is often a synonym for “I do whatever s/he says s/he wants”… but while that guideline’s a solid wall for strangers that should be abided, it gets tricky when you’re dealing with someone you’ve known for years. The “I do whatever s/he says s/he wants” logic assumes that Person X knows exactly what they want when it comes to life, and by giving them everything they request, you’re giving them everything they need.
Problem is, what we desire does not always get us what we actually want.
I Love My Wife Because She Disrespects Me -- The Ferrett
