Managing conflict in relationships can be overwhelming, especially if we are emotionally flooded. Dr. John Gottman, created the concept The Four Horsemen. He focused on four destructive communication styles in relationships.

A brief summary of The Four Horsemen are:

1. Criticism: Attacking your partners character rather than the unwanted behaviour.
2. Defensiveness: Blaming your partner to protect yourself in an argument.
3. Contempt: Using name calling to put down your partner when attempting to prove a point.
4. Stonewalling: Ignoring your partner during an argument because you have withdrawn from the conversation.

The video below provides a helpful animated narrative of how this concept impacts relationships.

(Photo taken by Cliparts.co)