From little irritations to buried
resentments, from dramatic arguments to
feelings of guilt, disappointment, and anger we did not even know we had, our families often bring up the most
intense emotions we experience, for better or worse.
Contempt often gets expressed in the midst
of an
intense argument in a last ditch effort to win, but it can also become a rather chronic attitude that defends against deeply held
resentment of not
feeling valued or good enough in the eyes
of one's partner.