Do You Respect Your Spouse’s Opinion?
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Respect means “ to honor or to hold in high esteem”. Being considerate and acknowledging opinions are two pieces of respect. A marriage without respect lacks integrity. When you lose sight of your spouse’s value, you are more apt to treat them in disrespectful ways.
Verbal signs of disrespect can cause an argument or escalate an argument. Examples include sarcasm, minimizing, interrupting, talking over your spouse, yelling or screaming, or name calling.
Nonverbal disrespectful behaviors while your spouse is speaking send signals to your spouse that you do not consider them to be someone worth listening to. Examples are eye rolling, smirking, finger pointing, yawning, scrolling through cellphone texts.
Value is a decision and a gift
Value should not be based on what someone does for you or how you feel. It is a decision you make and a gift you give. When you took your marriage vow to love, honor, and cherish, you made the decision to view your spouse as a person of high worth and value.
5 ways to show you value your spouse’s opinion
- When your spouse talks to you, look into his or her eyes to connect.
- Make sure you actively listen to what your spouse says to you. Don’t appear to listen but actually be occupied in your thoughts and actions.
- Make sure your body language says, “I care” when your spouse needs your attention. Don’t turn away or be busy with something else.
- Create an honor list for your spouse. Take some time to list all of the positive character traits, things they do, roles they play and positive things that you appreciate about your spouse.
- Say thank you not just for what they do, but also for who they are. “Thank you for being so willing to listen when I had a bad day today.”
The spouse who feels appreciated and valued by the person they have chosen to partner with is likely to engage in more physical intimacy and openness in communication.
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