Ceejay

a man asked his wife to stop correcting him whenever he spoke in public. she refused, and what followed nearly ended their marriage. he had a stammer that became more noticeable when he was nervous. his wife knew this before they married, but over the years she had developed a habit of finishing his sentences, correcting his words, and occasionally answering questions directed at him. she insisted she was helping him avoid embarrassment. at a dinner with some business associates, he was explaining an idea when she interrupted him three times. one of the guests eventually asked her to allow him to finish speaking. on their way home, he told her he was tired of being treated like a child in front of other people. she became defensive. she reminded him that she had stood by him when others mocked his speech and that she only wanted people to take him seriously. he told her something she wasn't expecting. he said he had started avoiding social events because he knew she would turn every conversation into an opportunity to manage how he sounded. she cried and accused him of forgetting all the ways she had supported him. he replied, "I remember everything you've done for me. that's why it took me so long to admit that the person who makes me feel most embarrassed about my speech is my own wife." for the first time, she had nothing to correct. can good intentions excuse behaviour that repeatedly makes your partner feel small, or should the impact matter more than what you meant to do?