How Being Defensive Almost Killed My Relationship

Discover how being defensive almost ruined my relationship and learn how to manage your defensiveness.

My boyfriend went silent, and a chill set in between us.

We’d argued.

These little spats had always ended with disconnection and loss of “that lovin’ feeling.”

What had gone wrong?

My first response was to blame him because it couldn’t have been my fault.

However, I replayed our conversation in my head and heard myself reacting to a comment he’d made about my past as it related to today.

The knee-jerk “that’s not true” reaction had shot right out of my mouth.

Then I mounted my defense and accused him of not knowing me.

My reckless rebuttal and the fierce attack had sucked the intimacy and connection out of the room.

Damage to our carefully built trust had resulted.

I could see we were on a destructive path that would ultimately disintegrate our partnership.

I wanted to stop this continual chipping away at the foundation of our relationship and repair our communication.

So, I set out to explore my defensiveness.

Where did my impulsive reaction come from? Why was I so determined to prove myself right?

Digging deep, I saw I believed that I had left my old ways behind.

His comment challenged my self-image.

Change is hard to do, and we are often filled with self-doubt.

I was reacting to the uncomfortable idea that maybe I hadn’t changed.

If that was true, perhaps I was what I feared most: gutless and unworthy of love.

It brought up all my insecurities and left me vulnerable.

Was I really that insecure? The answer is yes. I was

My boyfriend’s challenge sent me to the battlefield when I could have calmly listened and heard something else.

It’s possible his remark was motivated by his insecure feelings delivered as criticism.

Maybe his comment wasn’t a challenge at all, but just my fear-triggered misinterpretation.

Since that evening, I have come to understand something vital that I wish I had understood long ago:

Nothing in life destroys good communication and healthy relationships like defensiveness.

Nothing blinds us to our long-term goals more than acting impulsively and defensively in the face of perceived criticism.

Nothing is better at making us commit acts of self-sabotage than lashing out when we feel attacked.

It all comes down to choice

It was time for me to choose.

Was I committed to a healthy relationship based on communication and trust?

Or was I going to hold fast to my shield of self-righteousness and continue toward destruction?

This was not my first serious relationship.

I had been in a 25-year marriage that had ended.

Partly because my insecurities had ruled my actions.

The defensive pot shots I’d continuously lobbed had eroded the good in that relationship.

After the divorce, I’d made a pact with myself to be new and improve myself the next time.

Now, confronted with that vow, I was forced to look my fear of being vulnerable right in the eye.

Was that cagey nemesis going to keep me on the same old path?

I was not going backward.

I had to take new, courageous action if I wanted a true partnership with my boyfriend.

That meant I would have to feel the fear and be vulnerable.

After a deep breath, I took the plunge.

With my heart beating out of my chest, I told my boyfriend about my fear, impulsive reaction, and discoveries.

It was one of the best conversations we’d ever had.

Revealing my insecurities gave rise to intimacy and strengthened our bond of trust.

Important lesson #1 – Baring my heart and soul = intimacy and love

Once I’d revealed my dark view of myself and the shame I’d felt about reacting defensively, my boyfriend shared similar reactions he’d had.

This heart-opening chain reaction repaired the cracks in our partnership.

Important lesson #2 – Being authentic is healing

The resulting closeness and love from this conversation showed me I was strong enough to express my deepest secrets and come out standing tall in my worthiness.

Important lesson #3 – Being vulnerable is empowering!

You might associate vulnerability with weakness, but nothing is farther from the truth.

It takes courage and strength to let someone see the real you and be open with another person.

How do I manage my defensiveness today?

I still have defensive reactions, but I’m more aware of them now.

I notice my racing heart, an angry swell in my gut, and a tensing of my stomach, neck, and shoulders.

These are clues I am reacting to, and I must slow down and get present.

Slow, deep breaths are my access to being in the moment.

As I breathe, I drop into my body and check in with my senses.

What am I feeling, hearing, seeing, smelling, and tasting right now?

Is my intuition altering my perception?

I can step away from the emotional surge and remember my commitment to healthy relationships and authentic communication when I’m present.

This allows me to shift to calm and defenselessness.

WHAAAT!?! Defenseless, you ask? Yes, defenseless!

We make false assumptions about the motives of our friends, family, and colleagues that lead to unnecessary hurt and unhappiness.

We suffer when we take their actions or comments personally.

The communications coming from others are not personal.

Ever.

People are self-focused and ego-driven, and any attack (or perceived attack) on you or me is a projection of their insecurities, fears, and unhappiness.

They’re having their reactive response to some upsetting feeling.

It’s about them.

(Learn more from these ego quotes.)

We do not need to defend ourselves.

It’s not about you or me.

A common misconception is that being defenseless equals weakness.

Defenselessness grants us strength; strength comes from acknowledging our frailty and presenting our imperfections as something deeply human, which we all share.

When we are vulnerable, we awaken this humanness in others.

Being defenseless takes us out of the war and into creating kinship, affinity, and grace.

When defenseless, I can have compassion for another person’s insecurities, vulnerability, and desires.

This means I can stand in their shoes and see their reality.

Only then am I able to respond from my higher self.

The self that knows I am worthy.

That part of myself genuinely cares about others and wants connection.

The self whose love knows no bounds.

After all, love is what it’s all about…, and it must begin with me.

Your ‘Take Nothing Personally’ Cheat Sheet:

1. Notice that you’re reacting

2. Remember the type of relationship you’re committed to having

3. Say to yourself, “It’s not about me.”

4. Put yourself in the other person’s shoes and ask yourself what distress in their life could cause them to attack

5. Drop your weapons and let compassion arise

6. Respond from your loving, caring higher self

P.S. There’s no such thing as ‘too late.’

You can always go back to someone and clean up your mess.

You’ll be happy you did.

I promise.