Why do so many relationships slowly drift into frustration, criticism, defensiveness, and emotional distance?

Often, it’s not because people stop loving each other. It’s because they stop trying to understand each other.

In this deeply personal episode of The Learning Love Podcast, Dr. Mark A. Hicks explores one of the greatest gifts we can give the people we love: the sincere effort to understand them — even when their interests, habits, personality, emotions, or passions make little sense to us.

Why does your partner love sports so much? Why do video games help them decompress? Why does cleaning the house bring them peace? Why does social media, hobbies, routines, music, collecting, or quiet alone time matter so deeply to them?

Too often, relationships fall into patterns of teasing, mocking, nagging, dismissing, or tryin ...