First off, I understand that the policy my husband and I have isn't easy to do, nor is it a popular theory on how to have a happy relationship.
But you are right, neither of us take our arguments to our friends for just about any reason.
Let's be honest shall we?
For the most part, we aren't really looking for a "different perspective" when we run off to yak to our friends about an argument we've had with our SO. (significant other)
We want to vent. That's just a fancy word for bitching, complaining, griping, lamenting, ranting.....you get the picture.
And for the most part, we are trying to put the best possible spin on ourselves.
You can bet, that involves making the other person look wrong. If by chance that makes the target of our frustration look stupid, dumb, unreasonable, stubborn or just a plain idiot, so be it.
Truthfully, I have a ton of friends. I consider many of them wise, and could go to any of them to seek their counsel about anything I want to talk about. But they don't really have the anwers to our argumments. What are they really going to say tht I don't already at least have an incling about already?
And if we get into a really big impasse, then the safest thing to do is seek professional help anyway.
Think about it. In my estimation, you're either having an argument about something minor, or yu are having a real issue relationship-wise.
If the argument is about minor shit, your friends don't care anyway. Or worse, they blow things out of proportion and you get more worked up and angry for nothing.
If it's a real issue....I mean, I can't say that speaking to your friends is always a bad thing, but if it's a deep issue that needs working out, you're better off going to someone trusted or a counselor anyway.
But simply going off and getting others involved, very often does more harm than good to a relationship.
I'm editing this to add, that I think it is equally a bad idea for a woman to go off bitching about her SO too.
The only way I can put it, is that when anyone gripes about the person they are comitted to, it somehow makes the person doing the griping look bad too.
My husband and i have very simply decided to either keep our mouths shut and work it out between ourselves, build each other up and speak of their good qualities, or go to counseling.
Works for us. Sorry if I came across harsh earlier. It seems so plain to me sometimes that i lose patience and come off cranky.