Every couple has those little “swallow it and move on” moments. You know the ones. They’re the times when you could speak up, but you don’t, which is usually because starting a whole debate just isn’t worth it. Here are 19 things people usually let slide in a relationship, for the good of everyone involved.
Ignoring Forgotten “Thank-Yous”
You cook dinner and set the table, maybe even light a candle. But you only get crickets, without any “thanks” or comments like “this was great,” which stings a little. Yet you don’t call it out. Instead, you choose to simply clear the plates and remind yourself that, hey, at least they ate every bite. That’s better than nothing.
Letting Little Habits Slide
Those kitchen cabinets are always open. Every single one. This means that whenever you walk in, you bump your head and end up muttering under your breath about it. But you don’t bring it up. You just shut the doors one by one because you’d rather not cause any problems by talking about it.
Leaving Clothes Everywhere
There are socks on the couch, and there’s a hoodie on the chair. Don’t forget about the pair of jeans draped across the banister. But instead of complaining about it, you simply scoop it all up and get on with your night because you know that there’s no point in bringing it up. You know there are better things to argue about.
Stretching the Truth
Anytime they retell a story, you notice that they’ve changed the details and added some new things that never happened. Sure, you could mention it. Yet you’d rather let it slide while their friends laugh because correcting them would just kill the fun of the story, so you sip your drink and let the myth live on. It’s easier than arguing mid-story.
Totally Different Cleaning Standards
Your idea of “clean” involves spotless counters and vacuum lines in the carpet. But theirs is more like a quick wipe with a paper towel, job done. You’ll probably choose to avoid pushing them about it because it’s far easier to redo things later and let them believe the job’s done. Why argue about something that’s not really that important?
Taking Forever to Get Ready
Many people just accept that they’re going to wait around while their partner picks clothes and fixes their hair. They’ll simply scroll on their phone to kill some time and avoid mentioning anything because bringing it up would only slow things down more. Sometimes, they’ll even build in extra time as they know what’s going to happen. They know they’ll get out the door eventually. They just roll with the waiting game.
Forgetting to Replace the Toilet Paper
The empty toilet paper roll shows up again and again, but some people avoid turning it into a lecture and simply swap it out. Why? Because it’s faster to just handle it themselves than to keep reminding them. They’ve brought it up before, yet this habit doesn’t change, so they’ve stopped bothering to point it out. Grabbing a new roll is just much quicker than starting another round of nagging.
Borrowing Your Stuff Without Asking
Whenever your charger disappears or your hoodie goes missing, you know exactly who took it, although you let the issue slide. You’ll simply grab your possessions back later because making it a big deal feels unnecessary. Starting a fight over borrowed things isn’t worth it, and, in some relationships, sharing ends up being an unspoken agreement that keeps the peace.
Forgetting to Put Things Back
Most of your stuff ends up out of place constantly, like scissors in the wrong drawer or keys being nowhere to be found. But you simply return these things to where they belong and move on, rather than argue about organization. It happens often enough that you almost expect it now. It feels easier to fix it yourself than risk facing a defensive reaction over something as simple as lost keys.
Talking During Movies
They can’t help but give you their running commentary through every film, yet you avoid snapping at them about it. You simply nod along or respond. After all, it’s much easier than ruining the night with complaints about interruptions, even when they ask questions about things that the movie just explained. You’ve made your peace with it because silence never really sticks anyway.
Not Paying Attention During Movies Together
That’s not all for movies. Movie nights don’t always play out the way you picture them because one person’s invested in the plot while the other’s glued to their phone. There’s no point in pressing pause or snapping. It’s better to let it go, as answering a couple of questions later feels far less draining than starting an argument about screen etiquette.
Leaving Empty Containers in the Fridge
The juice carton looks full…until you pick it up and find it’s basically empty. It happens all the time, and you have to throw the carton in the trash before grabbing something else. You don’t bother mentioning it. It’s not worth arguing over, and, honestly, it’s probably that they just forget to throw it away.
Using the Last of Something Without Saying
Similarly, living with someone and sharing a kitchen often means that someone finishes the last of the milk or eggs, yet they don’t replace it. But starting an argument over the groceries just seems rather silly. So people just adapt to it by changing their breakfast and making another meal, then writing the missing item on the shopping list.
Always Running a Few Minutes Late
“Ready at six” means you’re not leaving until at least six-fifteen, and this delay happens so often that you’ve stopped mentioning it. You just expect it. It’s so predictable that you sometimes plan around it, and you don’t call it out anymore because the argument over time only slows things down further. Instead, you simply let them run on their own clock and adjust yours to match.
Always Running Late to Bed
Some people aren’t able to switch off at night, and they scroll or snack or do whatever, while their partner is ready to crash. The person who’s ready to sleep could bring it up, of course. But they know it’s easier to stick to their routine than nag about theirs, so they’ll keep silent. And that’s even though it often means waking up alone most mornings.
Forgetting to Say Sorry After Arguments
Apologies aren’t always part of the process for some couples, as one person sometimes moves on by cracking jokes or changing the subject. The other person? They’ll just swallow the missing “sorry” because bringing it up risks dragging the conflict on longer than it needs to be. Peace takes priority over hearing those two syllables that don’t always change anything.
Forgetting to Say Goodnight
Despite what you might’ve heard, goodnight rituals aren’t universal, and not every couple says good night to each other. This could be because one of them fell in front of the TV, or because the other went to bed without saying anything. Either way, waking them up for a proper goodnight feels pointless, so the habit sticks, and people just accept that the gesture won’t always happen.
Ordering For You Without Asking
Some partners take charge at restaurants by placing orders for the table without checking first. Of course, it’s not always spot-on, but most of the time it’s close enough. It can be annoying sometimes, yet a few couples understand that the other person has the best intentions, and correcting them in front of the waiter is rude. They eat what’s in front of them and move on.
Forgetting to Ask About Your Day
Conversations sometimes appear one-sided, as your partner comes home and vents about work or shares family updates. But they don’t always circle back to you. Rather than pointing it out, you nod and listen, allowing things to slide. It becomes one of those patterns you accept to keep things calm. You know you’ll get your chance to talk about your own day soon enough.
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