Let’s face it, we all can act like psychics sometimes in our relationships. What do I mean? The more time we spend with our partner the more we tend to think we know what they are thinking or how they will react. Unfortunately, unless you have superpowers or a special crystal ball, we can never read the mind of someone else or know what is going to happen in the future. If you are truly psychic then this post is not for you. Also, give me a call regarding the upcoming lottery numbers. Let’s take a look at the difference between mind reading and fortune-telling.
Mind Reading: This is when you assume you know what your partner thinks. Mind reading makes you respond defensively to what you believe your partner is thinking. You are already getting upset over something that hasn’t even been said yet and might not even be true! Often we can even assume all kinds of negative reasons of why our partner does something. Even if one of those motivations is partly true there are probably other factors at play that are easier to discuss and work on. Try considering alternative explanations for your partner’s behavior as they are just guesses. Finally, what is usually the best way to find out is to ask them.
Fortune Telling: We think that events will turn out badly without sufficiently weighing all the evidence. For example, “Oh I won’t bring that up because I know my partner will get mad and it will lead to a fight”. You “know” things will turn out badly. You predict it as an established fact. People can surprise you. Sometimes the thing you were so worried about bringing up, once you do, it turns out it was no big deal or did not go the way you thought.
