From Krista Caveny: A common first question to a breach in relational trust is: "What did your spouse do?".  The answer will likely depend on the severity of the action. For instance, when your spouse forgot to pick up the dry cleaning when you clearly asked them to, you may receive a denial in response, such as "you never asked me to get your dry cleaning."  You would probably be able to forgive this more easily than forgiving your spouse when they won't acknowledge a greater breach, such as infidelity. The adage "pick your battles" correctly applies here. The life of your marriage probably won't depend on dry cleaning, but infidelity is a much more complex and damaging offense. However, the core issue is the same: A spouse's unwillingness to take responsibility for their actions and make amends is a major roadblock in trusting relationships. ( continue reading...)