From “The Human Condition: A User’s Manual,” by Arnold Kunst
3 February
How to Handle a Woman: Another right way.
Your wife gets off the phone and tells you she just learned that her
mother has died unexpectedly. Knowing that she’s an only child and all the
funeral arrangements will be left to her, in the bad old days you probably
would have come out with some hyper-active Fix-it gene abreaction like this:
“let’s see; you’ve got to prioritize contacting the newspapers, the funeral
home, the cemetery, the bank, the church, letting friends and family know.”
Of
course, none of that is necessary as she hangs up the phone. Besides, you’ve
learned over the years that she’s got a robust Fix-It gene of her
own. What she needs right away is your two ears, not your big mouth. In short,
you need to learn to listen. You can help her do all that prioritizing later.
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