November 2025 - Magazine - Page 88
Mi n i str i es
OUT of TIME
Handling Hot Topics in Social Settings
Imagine you and your spouse are out celebrating a friend9s birthday. You9re
chatting away catching up with another couple, and they ask you if you9re
going on any vacations this year. You immediately tense up. They wouldn9t
know this, but this has been a sore spot in your marriage for the last couple
of months. Your spouse shoots you a look; you shoot them one back.
Have you been in this situation before? A major point of contention between you and your spouse comes up in front of others. Maybe it9s something you9ve been arguing about, like in the example. Or it could be an ele-
phant in the room that you haven9t discussed yet. Either way, you9re caught
off-guard and put on the spot. Maybe there9s awkward silence, or you can
feel your emotions start to bubble up. How do you respond? Here are a few
tips for handling hot topics in social settings.
1. Maintain boundaries.
The topic might be tied to very private or personal details. If you don9t typically share this information with others, this is not the time to start. Uphold the
privacy boundaries of your marriage 3 don9t divulge details you haven9t
okayed with your spouse. Similarly, if you have thoughts or opinions on the
matter that you haven9t shared with your spouse yet, be empathetic if you
