Category Archives: Relationships

Reality Check: Choosing Words for Difficult Conversations

Posted on December 13, 2025 by RealityCheck

Last time, I introduced Casey and Cathy’s story. It’s one where Casey has become resentful, perceiving that the more she does for Cathy, the greater are Cathy’s expectations. “Favours” have become demands. Casey has decided that she needs to address … Continue reading →

Posted in Relationships | Tagged anxiety, conflict, examining options, examining wants, negotiation | Comments Off

Reality Check: Does This Call for a Confrontation?

Posted on December 6, 2025 by RealityCheck

What does a satisfying life look like for you? For many people, an important measure of a satisfying life is that it includes being on good terms with people. Exactly who and how many people will vary from person to … Continue reading →

Posted in Relationships | Tagged conflict, criticism, improving relationships, responsibility | Comments Off

Reality Check: The Habit of Communication

Posted on December 6, 2025 by RealityCheck

Habits matter. They can affect how well our bodies work. They can influence whether we spend much of our time feeling joyful or despondent. Our habits can also contribute to how warm and connected we feel to other people. It … Continue reading →

Posted in Improving | Tagged choosing actions, examining wants, habits, improving relationships | Comments Off

Reality Check: Choosing Our Alliances

Posted on September 5, 2025 by RealityCheck

The term ‘alliance’ is often used to refer to relationships among countries. However, it can also be a useful descriptor for relationships among people, and could even open up a new perspective for some. Dr. Glasser and others put a … Continue reading →

Posted in Relationships | Tagged choosing actions, improving relationships, perception | Comments Off

Reality Check: Artificially Intelligent Relationships?

Posted on July 27, 2025 by RealityCheck

What if you could create your perfect wife, husband or friend? A buddy who responds in exactly the right way? You’d never hear a complaint. You’d never feel alone. You’d have a companion to make your life complete. Wouldn’t that … Continue reading →

Posted in Relationships | Tagged examining wants, making choices, reality | Comments Off

Reality Check: The Whys and Hows of Relationships

Posted on May 22, 2025 by RealityCheck

Relationships are a big deal in Choice Theory, where much of Dr. Glasser’s writings address how to improve relationships. Yet if we look at current culture, we could get the impression that it’s the disputes that are applauded, not efforts … Continue reading →

Posted in Relationships | Tagged choosing actions, examining wants, improving relationships, need satisfaction | Comments Off

Reality Check: Five Questions Meet a Conflict

Posted on April 30, 2025 by RealityCheck

Some people take a spontaneous seat-of-the-pants approach to life, while others find structure more satisfying. Personally, I find structure helpful: shopping lists, appointment calendars, journal reminders. Tools of this sort may not work perfectly, but they can help us develop … Continue reading →

Posted in Relationships | Tagged conflict, examining wants, improving relationships | Comments Off

Reality Check: Can We Resolve This Dispute?

Posted on April 25, 2025 by RealityCheck

Some of us like to solve problems. In fact, we might even identify ourselves as problem-solvers, based on successful problem solving incidents in our past! It’s satisfying to be able to assess a situation, interact with the involved parties, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Relationships | Tagged conflict, dissatisfaction, examining wants, improving relationships | Comments Off

Reality Check: An Inconvenient Truth About Caring

Posted on April 3, 2025 by RealityCheck

Tradeoffs. In many situations, we can’t get exactly what we want; we have to choose among less-than-ideal options. For example, let’s choose where to live. Town or country? One is convenient with easy access to services, but that is traded … Continue reading →

Posted in Relationships | Tagged choosing thoughts, conflict, examining wants, improving relationships | Comments Off

Reality Check: Our Many Types of Relationships

Posted on February 26, 2025 by RealityCheck

Relationships. What do you think of? Perhaps the type of relationship that springs to mind is what we call “romantic” relationships, spouses, partners, girlfriends, boyfriends, and so on. The common phrase “in a relationship” is often taken to mean you … Continue reading →

Posted in Relationships | Tagged examining wants, improving relationships, need satisfaction | Comments Off