Relationships go belly-up when partners expect them -- and, more specifically, their significant other -- to be perfect.  Many fall into the trap of setting unrealistically high standards for their partner, finding themselves crestfallen when they realize or she doesn't quite measure up.   If you seek perfection, I'm here to tell you that you'll never find it. There will always be qualities inherent in one's nature that won't go over well with others. Some people are exceedingly meek, while others are overly pompous. Certain individuals are unambitious while others can't seem to put their work down. Whether these are seen as positive traits or negative ones really varies by person.  Sure, it doesn't mean we can't work toward making the relationship as strong as it can possibly be by addressing our flaws, listening to our partner's grievances, and withholding the compulsion to finger-point and pass judgment.  But a relationship should never be regarde...

The other day, while reading a book or article, I came across a word I'd never seen or heard before in my life: milquetoast. Being the inquisitive word nerd that I am, I immediately set off on a two-pronged mission: First, to determine whether this was, in fact, a bona fide word, and, if so, what in the world it meant. I had an immediate hunch it might have something to do with breakfast, likely because it sounds like "milk and toast." But I was dead wrong on that front. To my surprise, milquetoast is indeed a word! According to my dictionary app, it means "a meek, submissive, or timid person." Synonyms include childish and unassertive. Now that you know the world's meaning, what comes to mind? To me, it conjures an unemployed 40-year-old man who still lives in his mother's house, plays video games most of the day, and lets whatever few friends he has walk all over him. Sounds rough, I know, but that's the scenario that played out in ...