When Knee-Jerk Reactions Cause Money Tension In Marriage

If you are doing X now, it means you will do XX later.

Often, we make something (a spouse’s decision, a situation, a money problem) far bigger than it is by assuming it predicts something down the road. We project into the future and have knee-jerk reactions based on what we are assuming will happen. As one man explained, “If I’m looking at what she bought, it isn’t just about this purchase. In my mind, it is one of many. Shoes last week and pants today will mean new tops tomorrow.”