Side Note: As a rule, people who are terrified of what others think about them are actually terrified of all the shitty things they think about thems… - Mark Manson

The honest conversation you're avoiding is likely the one your relationship needs the most.

Improvement at anything is based on thousands of tiny failures, and the magnitude of your success is based on how many times you’ve failed at something. If someone is better than you at something, then it’s likely because she has failed at it more than you have. If someone is worse than you, it’s likely because he hasn’t been through all of the painful learning experiences you have.

Psychologists sometimes refer to this concept as the 'hedonic treadmill': the idea that we're always working hard to change our life situation, but we actually never feel very different.