Mind reading doesn't work, not even when it comes to love

We encounter expectations everywhere—they are particularly challenging in relationships.

Your partner knows that you will be coming home later than usual today. You are tired. It has been a long day. 

In your mind, you have the perfect scenario: your partner has prepared dinner, you sit down comfortably at the table, and then enjoy a relaxed evening on the sofa.

But when you open the door, it doesn't smell like dinner. Your partner has just arrived and asks: “What are we eating tonight?”

Suddenly, you feel anger rising inside you. Closeness and relaxation are suddenly a distant memory.

The problem?

We often assume that the other person should know what we need – especially if we've been together for a long time.

But our partner can't read our minds.

🔍 A quick look at psychology:

Unspoken expectations are one of the biggest breeding grounds for disappointment in relationships. They are based on the assumption that the other person “automatically” understands what we want – simply because they love and know us. But love is no substitute for clear communication.

For us, this means that if we want something, it's up to us to say so. And not just once, but again and again, because life situations change. A new job, part-time work, illness, children... every change alters routines and needs. What worked before no longer works. In such moments, it takes time to find yourself again and figure out what you personally need and how that can be implemented in your relationship.

💡 Relationship tip:

Sit down together regularly and talk about what is important to you right now.

• What do you currently need to feel supported?

• Are there tasks that you can redistribute?

• What has been going well lately?

You are a team. Sometimes one person carries more, sometimes less – that's normal.

The important thing is to talk to each other before frustration and silence take over.

Start today: tell your partner what you want for tonight before you expect them to read your mind.