"Is my boyfriend an emotional trash can?"... Romantic relationships between competitiveness and anger

Cases where emotional imbalance and competitiveness occurring in romantic relationships become causes of conflict have been revealed. In a broadcast highlight video of the JTBC entertainment program 'Love War', a conversation was captured between a female participant who finds it difficult to control her anger and a male participant watching the process.

"I feel better only after swearing"… Anger that is difficult to control

The female participant in the video confessed that when she gets angry, her irritation rises sharply, and she can only feel at ease by expressing strong anger or swearing at her partner until her mood improves. In this process, she showed difficulty in emotional regulation, even spitting out words like "I regret meeting you" to her partner.

The female participant expressed that it is difficult because her emotions do not go according to her own will. In response, the male participant suggested a hospital visit to check her condition and expressed his intention to pay the related costs. However, the female participant showed a pattern of conflict by mentioning that the reason she started taking medication began after meeting her boyfriend, implying that the reason for taking the medicine lies with her partner.

Competitiveness between lovers, "I should have won"

The conflict between the two went beyond simple emotional outbursts and led to competitiveness between the lovers. The female participant revealed an anecdote about preparing for a fitness instructor certification exam together in the past. At that time, the female participant failed the exam, while the male participant passed. The female participant explained the situation at the time as "a situation where I should have won as a competitor, not a lover."

In particular, the female participant revealed an experience where she burst into tears while opposing the male participant's additional training after he passed. This was because she felt a sense of rejection toward her partner moving further ahead of her while she was in a situation where she could not receive the certification. Regarding this, the cast members mentioned 'selective competitiveness' directed at the partner, pointing out the problems of competitive psychology appearing in romantic relationships.

Furthermore, the female participant mentioned her partner's attitude as the reason she feels the male participant is looking down on her. Statements followed to the effect that the conflict intensified because the questions the partner threw during the study process felt like an attitude of regarding her as stupid.