I understand the sentiment, but the way you avoid potential conflicts with strangers is to impose distance, which is not what you want in close relationships.

I understand the sentiment, but the way you avoid potential conflicts with strangers is to impose distance, which is not what you want in close relationships. You'll offend your partner far more often than you would a stranger because you are intimate and vulnerable to each other, which makes it far more likely that you'll hurt each other unintentionally, but also far more likely that you'll have a full and meaningful relationship, provided you practice good relationship hygiene. A good resource is Dr. Gottman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLXX8wzvT7c https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLXX8wzvT7c