James Sexton

Unspoken Expectations Turn Small Relationship Changes Into Private Tests

James Sexton argues that relationships depend in part on small, unrequested gestures of attention, while Rick Glassman questions the test of waiting for a partner to notice an unspoken need. The New York divorce attorney uses a client’s story about granola to frame a tension between asking directly for what you need and hoping a partner will notice on their own. A request may get the job done, Sexton suggests, but it does not carry the same meaning as a gesture freely offered.