This is a quote by either the therapist and relationship provocateur Terry Real or Esther Perel.

On the face of it, it's quippy and provocative. And it seems to suggest you need to eat shit to be happy. That you have to give up your beliefs or your values and just take the easy option of agreeing.

It might look like that old chestnut ‘happy wife happy life’.

here’s a complaint I often hear from men in relationships, and it sounds something like:

‘I come home from work, take out the trash, help in the kitchen, fix the car, help with the kids. I’m doing all these things and she still complains I’m not doing enough. I tell her I love her all the time and she's still unhappy’.

In the words of Robert Glover, author of the transformational book, No More Mr. Nice Guy, I am a recovering nice guy.

Being a nice guy is a strategy. It's a strategy that nice guys have developed in childhood. And it's a very effective strategy in many ways. It's helped me be successful in many areas of my life in many ways. And it’s also caused a shit-ton of problems.

What image comes to mind when you think of ‘the perfect relationship’?

Mine involves a tropical beach house, tanned and fit bodies (one of them is mine, one is my partner’s) and I’m dressed in white linen trousers and shirt.

And in this vision I’m calm, successful (this is a top-notch beach house I’ll have you know). The vibe is both easy and, frankly, sterile. Basically I’m in a stock photo from a travel brochure.

Whenever two people come together there’s always an opportunity for confusion. Two different realities co-exist, so confusion is inevitable.

If you find yourself confused or doubting something about your partner or your relationship, seeking the support and wise counsel of friends can be helpful. Talking through possibilities, exploring our feelings, hearing other perspectives can be vital.