Get the best of Oprah.com in your inbox. Sign up for our newsletters!
Before Your Next Fight, Read This
People fighting in front of exclamation point
He hadn't done the dishes. She was livid. He was livid that she was livid. Which gave one expert negotiator the perfect opportunity to practice what he preaches—turning an adversary into a partner.

Thank you, Aunt Margaret!


It's eight o'clock on a Saturday morning, I was up all night doing taxes, and I've had only four hours of sleep when my wife, having decided this would be a good time to torture me, wakes me with an angry accusation: "You didn't do the dishes!"

I put a pillow over my head.

"You said you were going to do them!"

"I'm trying to sleep, Mia."

Mia doesn't care. "How come I have to do all the work around here?"

I hold the pillow tighter. "Can't this wait?"

"No."

Now I'm angry.
PAGE 1 of 5
1
2
3
4
5
Loading...
Advertisement
IN THE CURRENT ISSUE
Express yourself! We've got 26 ways to tell your story and share it with the world, jeans that make you look 10 pounds thinner, and recipes for the easiest dinner party you'll ever throw.
see all new stories
Advertisement
Advertisement