The Struggle To Focus On What Matters

There’s a point in relationships that I like to call the Pettiness Threshold.

It’s the point where you’re so weighed down by the unresolved frustrations and unmet expectations of the past, that you react to minor irritations and innocent mistakes with levels of pettiness that, in better times, would be unthinkable.

For example, as you meltdown about emptying the dishwasher, you might be fully aware that your response is disproportionate. But it's amplified by each of the previous 379 times (yes, you counted) when it wasn’t done.