The truth about mind reading
Although most people realize that it is not reasonable to expect others to read their minds, that does not always prevent them from feeling hurt or outraged when they don’t. Many of us possess a (usually unconscious) belief that when it comes to intimate relationships, mind reading is not only a legitimate expectation, but that a failure to do so and to take appropriate action accordingly, is grounds to find one’s partner guilty of being unloving. Such a finding can result in a serious or even catastrophic breakdown in the relationship. What we consciously think and what we unconsciously believe are often misaligned and in such cases, hidden expectations often trump rational thought. This can, as many of us have found out the hard way, lead to (ahem) “difficult” situations. For example: Karen came home from work at the end of the day. When her husband Peter greeted her, she responded with cold silence. Peter: Is anything wrong? Karen: Why? You don’t care...