2nd source of Marital Conflict

Here's the second source of Marital Conflict: Emotional injury that was not intentional.

When you married your spouse, you did not do so with any desire to intentionally hurt her feelings. But you will! You will say something thoughtless, stupid and unkind. Here me out on this one: The person who was hurt does need to give the offending spouse the benefit of the doubt, "I know you did not intend to hurt me. I don't believe you get enjoyment out of hurting my feelings." Maybe the issue was a total misunderstanding or he or she touched on an issue that is a raw wound from your childhood or a previous marriage.

This is an opportunity when the offending spouse needs to assure his partner of his love and that he has no intention of trying to recreate wounds from her childhood or a previous marriage gone sour.