Difficulty: Moderately Challenging
Step1
Let him know as soon as you recognize unacceptable behavior. Tell your husband how you feel and that you are not happy with his attitudes. Denial is not the river upon which you want to row.
Step2
Do not minimize or rationalize arrogant and boorish behavior. Resentment will only grow inside of you and insidiously invade your serenity.
Step3
Stand by your convictions and decisions. Confidently spell out your desires and stick by your choices. At the same time, you can compromise when you feel it is appropriate. He can learn new behavior from watching how you do it.
Step4
Take care of yourself. Rest when you need it and eat when you are hungry. Spend time with friends outside of the relationship. Your husband's arrogance can be minimized by your show of independence and his deep need for your care and approval.
Step5
Join a couples group of any kind. Putting yourselves in situations where he can see and mimic other men's behavior also can prove educational while you are coping with this re-education.
Comments
kimcoo said
on 10/11/2007 Hi - unfortunately this is not a simple problem, it is a symptom of a little known personality disorder know as Narcissism. It is considered incurable by many but NOT all professionals. IT is a major indicator of domestic violence including emotional and physical abuse. I run a support blog on this topic at www.narcissismsupport.com My site has come from two years of working with a domestic violence officer with the police and 6 other front line professionals that deal with this issue daily. The information there is little know or publicized but highly relevant if you have this problem.