Getting the Love you Want - Book Review

Greetings all,

I had been reading the following book by Harville Hedrixs and it's geared for couples. I don't like the book too much as basically he is arguing that whatever wounds in childhood we experienced, we are unconsciously seeking it in the partners we choose. So if a man had a critical mother, chances are that's the kind of woman he'd be attracted to.

I can see this to some degree but I think it's too general and I don't particularly care for his style of exploring the unconscious.

The first half was discussing the theory and the second half was the 'practical application'. I didn't find it that practical but yesterday morning I read a section where he basically says that we can not look within for love, for the love and nurturing we desire, but rather have to look externally. As well, the partners we are attracted to, they are the ones that have to change so that we can heal ourselves. Of course, since this book is geared for couples, I can see his point of saying that your partner has to change. For example if you are attracted to critical men, your need for nurturance will be fulfilled once he changes as well, which is something he needs to do. But I don't know why the woman wouldn't go for the nurturing man in the first place and cut out the middle man of the critical man.

I think this contradicts everything I've ever read and have heard from people in happy relationships. I don't think it's realistic to expect someone to change and the only real power we have is to change our thoughts or reactions to things. If I expect people around me to change, I am losing my sense of power.

His exact quote was "in his efforts to heal his partner, he would be recovering an essential part of himself!"
This was applied to an example if the wife had parents who weren't physically affectionate and she was drawn to a man who was the same. He said he saw the unconscious selection process in a new way, namely that what the other partner was least able to give, it happened to be the area they needed their partner to grow. So to meet her needs, the husband would need to step out of his comfort zone and be more physically affectionate but this would help him as well. As well, if the husband becomes more affectionate, logically wouldn't she start losing her attraction to him? That's why I would think it would make sense to go after the nurturing, touchy feely people in the first place.

I think that's all nice and dandy in theory but I don't think it's realistic to expect someone to change. Again, I can see this maybe being useful for couples who have been together for a while but at the same time, they have to ask themselves, is it really worth working hard to save the relationship?

I was a little disturbed by this. I think the more I nurture myself, the more I seek respect and kindness from others. On the flip side, if people are nice to me, and I was not feeling my best, it may have an effect on me, if repeated enough.