Frustration and anger can lead to mean-spirited, disrespectful communication. We sometimes reach the breaking point and say hurtful or belittling comments, often while raising our voice.
For example, Sarah is watching TV with her husband Erik. A commercial for a fast food company comes on and she picks up the remote and mutes it.
“Hey!” Erik yells. “Why the hell did you do that! I was watching it!”
“Oh, sorry,” Sarah says, turning the sound back on.
“Well, it’s too late now!” he rages. “I missed it. You know that I’ve been wanting a hamburger all day.”
Sarah stares at him, shocked. She hadn’t known that, and how would viewing the commercial satisfy his desire? She’s trying to figure all this out, why he got so mad, what she can do to fix it, when he leaps from the couch and heads toward the door.
“Wait,” she says. “I’m sorry. I thought you hated commercials.”
He turns to her, calls her an idiot and an obscene name, then slams the door.
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