Competitive couple Claire and Ben keep track of who does what in the relationship. Dr? Sheila advises them to go further and name a winner of the marriage. They discuss health-consciousness, scorecards for tasks, and even a sexual activity scorecard. One speaker files for divorce in the end.
Dr. Sheila advises the competitive couple to stop keeping score and instead focus on acts of service and connection.
The couple discusses the need for genuine support and acts of love, and the presence of a literal scorecard in their sexual relationship.
Deep dives
Rosetta Stone: The Language Learning Program
Rosetta Stone is a language learning program that offers immersive language learning experiences. It goes beyond translations and helps learners pick up a new language naturally through words, phrases, and sentences.
Couples Therapy: Knowing Each Other Well
The podcast episode features a couple in therapy discussing their long history and deep knowledge of each other. They talk about how they track each other's movements, rely on technology for location tracking, and even compete in areas like step count and household tasks.
Scorekeeping and Acts of Service: Putting Away the Scorecards
The therapist introduces the idea of putting away the scorecards and finding acts of service and connection that don't involve tracking or comparing. The couple explores the presence of a literal scorecard in their sexual relationship and discusses the need for support and genuine acts of love.
Competitive couple Claire and Ben keep track of who does what in the relationship to an unhealthy degree. Dr? Sheila explains that this level of keeping score will never work. They need to go further and one of them needs to be named the winner of the marriage. Starring Amy Poehler, Kate Berlant, and John Early.