Hello, question asker! I'm Jiang 61.
First of all, thank you for trusting us and being willing to tell us your feelings in order to get support. You asked, "I had a fight with my mother and vented all the grievances I've had for years. It felt so good!" After reading your detailed introduction and understanding your interactions with your mother, I am ready to discuss this with you.
1. Introduction
1⃣️, Question
You said, "Because of a bowl of noodles, my mother and I had the most intense argument. First of all, she thinks I'm disobedient and not as obedient as I was as a child.
I'm 34 years old. Why do you still want me to be obedient and sensible? Is this how you judge me?
You're 34 years old, yet your mother still treats you like a child, expecting you to obey her. Otherwise, she'll say you're not as obedient and sensible as a child. My mother is stuck in the past and can't accept you for who you are.
2⃣️, Question
I want to know why my mother still expects me to be obedient and sensible. She treats me like I'm still a child, but I'm 34 years old. I'm not a child. I can see that my mother is stuck in the past and can't accept me for who I am.
This is about conditional love.
You said, "Secondly, she is the type of mother who is self-involved and incapable of showing affection. For example, today there were clearly noodles in the pot, but she chose to eat something else.
This was also the reason for the argument.
Your mother has always used the pretext of love to morally kidnap you, hoping that you will be full of gratitude towards her. You know better than to believe that this love is unconditional.
It's a lot to take in.
She's a control freak.
You said, "Finally, she is indecisive and likes to be smarty-pants. She has a strong desire to control. When I argued with her, I told her she had ruined many things for me. When confronting her, she lied to protect her face. She was basically saying that you cannot be smarter than me and you cannot be more decisive than me."
The mother is not strong enough inside, lacks self-confidence, and therefore has a strong desire to control. She often resorts to lies to protect her dignity. She is both smart and indecisive, and what makes you angry is that her smartness has ruined many good things for you.
3⃣️, vent
You said, "She is stubborn, narcissistic, indecisive, and self-centered in the above three ways. We had a fight today, and I laid out all my years of grievances. If you say I've gone too far, you can try living with a mother like this and see how depressing it is."
Vent.
You have always known your mother to be self-centered, stubborn, hypocritical, and inconsistent. Today, you finally had a chance to confront her about your long-standing issues.
You care.
You care about what other people think. After arguing with your mother, you feel relieved and happy. You also want to tell us that you have finally been yourself. You are not afraid of criticism.
That's why you said that last sentence.
2. Reasons for the argument
1⃣️, Repressed Emotions
Suppression
Suppression is a psychological process that can be consciously perceived and bothers conscious feelings. It is a method used by individuals to control certain desires and cravings that do not have as serious a conflict with consciousness as those affected by the repression process, but are still weak but still powerful.
You have suppressed your emotions for a long time.
You have been suppressing your emotions for a long time. You have always considered your mother's face and kept them hidden. However, the emotions are still buried in your heart. Today's noodles were just the fuse that finally allowed you to speak your grievances to her after all these years.
2⃣️, non-loving behavior
This is non-loving behavior.
Let's be clear: unloving behavior is when we say in the name of love that we're carrying out an unloving plunder against the people closest to us. This behavior may not be true love, but it's motivated by other purposes.
Let's talk about mental kidnapping.
Parents often demand that we do things they want but we don't want in the name of love. The questioner mentioned the trivial matter of his mother forcing him to eat noodles today, which is a form of mental kidnapping in the name of love. If the questioner does what his mother wants, she will be happy.
However, the questioner is clear that this is not love. It is a way to satisfy her mother's vanity. Therefore, she is unwilling to satisfy her mother's wishes. They argue over the pursuit of their own interests.
3. How to Handle Differences
1. Quarrel
Quarrel
A quarrel is an argument between two or more people that becomes loud and they refuse to back down. It is an argument and a noisy dispute.
This will deepen the rift.
Arguments occur between people with close relationships because they care about each other's opinions and actions. Disagreements are inevitable, and arguments are the natural result.
The purpose of an argument is to prove that you are right and convince the other person to accept your point of view. There is no right or wrong in an argument. However, saying irrational things will only exacerbate negative emotions, leading to a deepening of the rift and estrangement.
Resolve differences of opinion without arguing.
2⃣️, Consistent communication
Communication is an essential part of our daily lives. Many family life and workplace relationships are not harmonious, and this is mostly because there is a lack of consistency in communication.
Consistent communication is key.
Consistent communication is when your verbal and non-verbal messages align with your inner feelings. In consistent communication, you give your full attention to the other person and the situation.
People who use this communication model show an inner awareness in their speech. They are in tune with their emotions and words, their hearts are in harmony and balance, and they have a high sense of self-worth.
The following sentence patterns are used in consistent communication.
The following sentence patterns are essential for congruent communication. With practice, you can master these patterns and truly communicate in a congruent manner. The specific sentence patterns are as follows:
When...
Describe the situation objectively and without any accusations or emotions.
My feelings are...
Make sure you clearly express your feelings and emotions in the moment.
I hope...
Make sure you clearly express what you want the other person to do and specify your needs. The expectation must be quantifiable, enforceable, and visible.
I believe...
Describe your expectations for the good.
When the questioner uses congruent communication to align their true feelings, actions, and verbal expressions, the mother will be able to receive the same message as the questioner feels. Misunderstandings will be reduced, and your family life will be harmonious.
3. Emotion management
Managing your emotions well is crucial for handling family relationships, close relationships, and interpersonal relationships. Managing emotions means:
You must recognize your emotions.
This is the first step in emotion management. You must recognize what you are feeling. This could be anxiety, anger, sadness, or anything else.
You must accept your emotions.
Healthy emotions are emotions that are consistent with the situation. When your emotional experience is consistent with objective events, you know your emotions are normal. This is accepting emotions.
This means that emotional tension will decrease and inner peace will return.
Express your emotions.
Expressing your emotions is key. It's about being honest with yourself and others. When you express your emotions, you're not just sharing your feelings, you're also sharing your identity. It's a powerful act.
You can express your emotions in many ways. One common form is using the first person, "I," to describe your feelings.
Cultivate your emotions.
You must also cultivate and practice emotion management. There are several ways to do this.
(1) Living a regular life will stabilize your emotions.
2) Develop a hobby. Let positive emotions drive you. Love yourself and life. Feel the beauty of life.
3) Care for and look after others. Let love dwell in your heart. Helping others is the greatest joy. Help others help themselves.
4) Connect with nature, embrace the essence of heaven and earth, and open your mind to experience emotional stability.
(5) Make executive friends and spend time with emotionally stable people to reduce emotional interference and fluctuations.
Questioner, it is normal to have thoughts and emotions. There are ways and methods to express them. Use consistent communication to express your thoughts, feelings, and emotions. Resolve your differences without arguing.
I wish the original poster a happy life!
Comments
I can't believe we ended up fighting over a bowl of noodles. My mom thinks I'm being disobedient now, but come on, I'm 34. Shouldn't there be some room for me to make my own choices? She's always been so selfcentered, acting like she's sacrificed everything for me while I can't even choose what to eat. It's frustrating when she changes her mind and then accuses me of not appreciating her efforts. In the end, it feels like she just wants to control everything. I told her during our argument that her indecisiveness has messed up a lot for me. She lies to save face, making it seem like no one can outsmart or be more decisive than her. It's hard living with someone who is so stubborn and narcissistic.
This argument about noodles brought up so much frustration from years of dealing with my mom's controlling behavior. At 34, I feel like I should have the right to decide things for myself. Yet, she acts as if I'm still a child who needs to be obedient. Her constant selfpity and need to be in charge of everything are exhausting. When I finally stood up to her, she lied to protect her pride, proving once again that she values her image over honest communication. It's such a relief to finally vent all these feelings; it's been building up for too long.
The fight we had today was intense, especially because it seemed so trivial just a bowl of noodles. But it wasn't really about the food; it was about the way she treats me. At this age, I shouldn't have to prove my obedience. My mom's attitude, always putting herself first and expecting gratitude for every little thing, has been suffocating. During our argument, I expressed how her indecisiveness and lies to preserve her image have affected me negatively. Living under the shadow of someone so selfinvolved and indecisive is emotionally draining.
Living with my mom has been tough lately. The argument we had over a simple meal turned into a huge deal because it symbolized years of builtup resentment. I'm 34, and I want to be treated as an adult, not someone who must constantly show obedience. Her tendency to wallow in selfpity and control every situation makes it hard for us to connect. When I confronted her about lying and trying to appear smarter and more decisive, it felt liberating to express all the grievances I've held onto for so long.
It's sad that something as insignificant as a bowl of noodles could lead to such a heated argument. But it's clear that my mom and I have different views on obedience and appreciation. I'm grown up and don't see why I should conform to her old expectations. Her selfcenteredness and desire to control everything only adds to the tension between us. Confronting her about her indecisiveness and dishonesty was necessary. I needed to let her know how her actions affect me and how living with her has been challenging.