There's More to That Fight in Ikea With Your Husband Than You Think
Shopping at Ikea is not for the weary of heart. It's a time-consuming marathon that requires a refuel in the form of Swedish meatballs halfway through and without fail always leads to a tiff (or two) with your significant other. But that bickering might actually be the result of some deep-rooted issues.
Need proof? VICE writer Yasmin Jeffery did some sleuthing (a.k.a. eavesdropping) at her local store to uncover some of the real-life fights couples were experiencing. Then she asked Dr. Suky Macpherson, a Chartered Psychologist and Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society, to reveal what the pairs were really arguing about - and the results are fascinating.
One example? Jeffery heard a man say this to his partner: "Are you sure this is the right place to get a cheese grater? Because I don't see any." Her response? "Yes! Why do you always have to question everything I do?" In reality, Dr. Macpherson says the woman's use of "always" to generalize their relationship reveals there is likely a power struggle within the couple and each person feels like the other is more in control. Interesting.
Another scenario included a man who didn't think a laundry basket was big enough, and said he would rather wait in the car than help his partner decide. The woman clearly wanted his input, and Dr. Macpherson said this could mean they don't share the same vision, which makes the woman feel "unloved."
Oh, boy.
Of course, every couple is different and no Ikea-enabled argument is the same. But we'll admit the other common fights (read more of 'em here) sound quite familiar. Fingers crossed learning about other people's disagreements will help you and your partner avoid your own the next time you visit this zoo of a store.
[h/t VICE
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