How To Get Your Way In Every Relationship Disagreement

Being in a relationship can be difficult. As much as every relationship is forged with a unique bond, they are all unified by the common need for compromise. Whether over trivial, day-to-day matters, or life-altering decisions, we find that learning to compromise is the best way to make for a long-lasting, healthy relationship.

What you may not be aware of, however, is an easy way around this. That’s right, as the article title suggests, there actually is an easy-to-deploy method to get your way more often than not. All you have to do is reach for the right social justice cause and find a way to adapt it to your circumstances. Best of all, you don’t even have to care about the cause! Follow this handy guide below, and in no time, you too, shall overcome…the burden of compromise!

The problem: Romantic comedy movie night
The social cause: any form of gender politics
Quote to use: “I want to love Love Actually, but I’m concerned about its binary representation of sexual identities and promotion of traditional gender roles!”

The problem: They really think you should get a new computer/car/phone/wardrobe
The social cause: corporatism
Quote to use: “No, I’m not being cheap! But should we really be contributing to the cycle of planned obsolescence and fashion industry taste-makers dictating the type and frequency of our purchases?”

The problem: That new Japanese/American fusion restaurant (or similar)
The social cause: the dangers of white imperialism
Quote to use: “I’m sure the food is fantastic, sweetie. I’m just not certain I want to perpetuate the western takeover and appropriation of other cultures. I just don’t believe in bland, forced assimilation.”

The problem: They want to see that white guy playing jazz/reggae/blues in the park every Sunday night in the summer
The social cause: the white homogenization of black culture
Quote to use: “I agree he’s a fantastic musician. But without appropriately feeling the struggles that drove the emotion of his predecessors, I’m just not sure of the authenticity of his sound.”

The problem: They want to see you more often. You live 25 miles away
The social cause: environmentalism
Quote to use: “Of course I care about us. But should I really let my selfish impulse to spend more time with you trump my concerns about the carbon footprint I leave each and every visit? It’s the quality of our time together, not quantity!”

The problem: (S)he wants to get married. You don’t, or you aren’t ready.
The social cause: gay marriage
Quote to use: “I just feel it would devalue our love for one another if we exploited our heterosexuality to take advantage of a right not afforded to all couples!”

The problem: You lost the marriage debate above. They want the diamond engagement ring.
The social cause: the diamond industry and slave trade
Quote to use: “But I see nothing wrong with your love for such a precious jewel. I just don’t want to be forced to weigh that against the plight of a Batswana adolescent mine worker, or the deliberate supply-side control and price inflation inherent in the industry!”

 
I can’t promise you’ll win every fight along the way. Indeed, the necessity of compromise will still always be present. But by learning from the list above, you too, can be come a master of manipulation and impress your significant other with a nuanced understanding of cultural politics. And if you should ever find yourself corned by a predicament you just have to get out of, remember: the world of social justice politics is ever-evolving, and the cause you need to co-opt may be just around the corner!