As the lyrics of one of Tyler Childers' songs say, 'There is hurt you can cause that time alone cannot heal'. When it comes to our interactions with women, a breathtaking amount of that pain is caused by what we say...or what SHE says. And when we get into a relationship, the stakes get even higher. We get straight to the point in this episode, first addressing the weird childhood refrain that 'sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me'. So then, what about childhood? How does what our parents--and maybe even teachers--tell us form our views of and expectations toward future romantic relationship? What's the truth about how early-stage communication between men and women can deeply impact BOTH participants, both in the short-term and the longer-term? What are the differences between how men and women tend to process conversational conflict...and the surprising similarities? What are the patterns that lead to couples blurting out extremely painful barbs at each other...and how can we guard against saying that which can never be unsaid? In what ways can be arm ourselves with wisdom so as to prevent harmful insults, angry threats and heated 'confessions' from ever being uttered to begin with? What subjects should couples absolutely avoid if they want to avoid bitterness and resentment? Finally, listen in for some practical, actionable habits that Emily and I have adopted within the framework of our marriage to ensure our conversations remain productive...even when we're cranky? Find the show notes, free downloads and more at https://www.scotandemily.com/podcast === HELP US SEND THE MESSAGE === The content in this show is NEVER generated by AI. We discovered it can't handle a joke a long time ago. Meanwhile, we'll keep the practical, actionable ideas coming as well as the entertaining part...all for free. If you love what you hear, please rate the show on the service you subscribed to it on (takes one second) and leave us a review. As we say here in Texas, we appreciate you!