Dealing with a partner who is short-tempered/critical of just about everything?

I don't know how to phrase this without it being a rant, but I suppose I'm hoping others on this subreddit can share success stories of dealing with a spouse who is very different than you, personality-wise.

I consider myself to be a very "easy-going" person. My personality is very lax, and I can handle disruptions or inconveniences in life without much grief (I am far from a push-over, growing up in a very Italian household, we're certainly not afraid to speak our minds or address problems that need addressing). All that said, I'm just not the type to get riled up about things unless they're super bothersome.

My spouse is very different. They tend to "explode" at a moment's notice, often over things that seem quite innocuous to me. I try to be respectful, to understand that their frustrations must be coming from a place of sincere upset, but some of the things seem so easy to ignore without even bringing up. Given the "quarantine" situation, I feel like I've become the sounding board for everything, and it's at least 5-6 times/day that there's an explosion about something.

I'm just curious; has anyone recognized that their partner is, personality-wise, very different from them, and they've "made it work?" Sometimes I find myself fearful of living life dealing with outbursts over things that I don't feel I should even be a part of.

Submitted July 13, 2020 at 11:44PM

I don't know how to phrase this without it being a rant, but I suppose I'm hoping others on this subreddit can share success stories of dealing with a spouse who is very different than you, personality-wise.I consider myself to be a very "easy-going" person. My personality is very lax, and I can handle disruptions or inconveniences in life without much grief (I am far from a push-over, growing up in a very Italian household, we're certainly not afraid to speak our minds or address problems that need addressing). All that said, I'm just not the type to get riled up about things unless they're super bothersome.My spouse is very different. They tend to "explode" at a moment's notice, often over things that seem quite innocuous to me. I try to be respectful, to understand that their frustrations must be coming from a place of sincere upset, but some of the things seem so easy to ignore without even bringing up. Given the "quarantine" situation, I feel like I've become the sounding board for everything, and it's at least 5-6 times/day that there's an explosion about something.I'm just curious; has anyone recognized that their partner is, personality-wise, very different from them, and they've "made it work?" Sometimes I find myself fearful of living life dealing with outbursts over things that I don't feel I should even be a part of.