Shadowing Practice: The five hard conversations: preventing divorce - Learn English Speaking with Video

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I'm Dr. Orion Taraban, and this is Psych Hacks, Better Living Through Psychology, and the topic of today's short talk is the five hard conversations.
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So this is an episode about selection.
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At this stage of the game, I believe that 90 % of having a successful relationship boils down to selecting the right person for the job.
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Should go without saying, but it's very important to choose your long -term partner carefully.
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That means that once you decide that someone might be on that track, you'll need to have some tough talks.
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Let me be clear.
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These are not first date conversations.
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They will often diminish attraction, and without enough emotional buy -in, there will be no grounds to navigate any differences that emerge.
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You only want to have these talks if you're reasonably sure someone has long -term potential.
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That means that you've passed through the limerence period, you've experienced the crisis of disillusionment, and you've still continued to commit to each other.
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But once you get to this point, you might not want to wait too much longer to get into it.
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The five hard conversations are hard because they concern the five issues that are most likely to lead to divorce.
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So if you have irreconcilable differences, it's better you figure that out before you get too deeply involved with each other.
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The trick is not to lie.
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Not to yourself and not to the other person.
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This might be very anxiety -producing for some of you.
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You might want to hide
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or qualify your beliefs in order to keep the other person in a relationship you've already decided you want.
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But this is a very, very bad idea.
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If you lie at this stage, you will lose more than you win.
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Because what happens if you're successful?
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You either A, undermine the stability and longevity of a relationship that will only cause bigger problems further down the road, or B,
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force yourself into a corner where you functionally need to keep
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up the pretense for the rest of the relationship with all the resentment and despair and suffocation that entails.
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So you need to bite the bullet.
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As tough as it might feel, you need to be honest with yourself and you need to be honest with the other person.
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So what are these hard conversations?
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Here they are.
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You need to talk about sex, money, children, politics slash religion,
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because politics is religion for non -religious people, and in -laws.
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This last one might not seem important right now, but trust me, it will be.
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And with respect to these five topics, you want to more or less be on the same page.
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Big disparities in any one of these can make for a difficult relationship at best and a total shit show at worst.
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Now, when you're just dating, it's actually fairly easy to be tolerant of even wide disparities in these categories.
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And if you just want to remain a dyad forever, these differences can also be tolerated forever.
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The difficulties come in when there are children involved.
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Why?
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Well, take religion.
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Say you're a Catholic and she's a Jew.
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Well, what's the problem if you're just dating?
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She can go to temple on Friday night and you can go to church on Sunday morning.
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Like, you might have to get kosher hot dogs for the barbecue, but there's no real deal breaker here.
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But now you have a kid.
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What religion is he going to grow up with?
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Do you send him to Catholic school or Hebrew school?
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Do you organize a baptism or a bris, and so forth and so on?
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When it comes to kids, there are many things that are difficult, if not impossible, to meet halfway on.
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And the stakes feel a lot higher.
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Why?
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Because one of the main reasons people have children is to pass on their values.
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When one parent gets his or her way, it can make the other feel as though his or her own culture or identity is being erased, as it won't live on to the next generation.
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Successful navigation around big differences generally looks like trading in legacy.
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I'll choose the place of worship, you'll choose the elementary school, I'll choose where we spend Thanksgiving, and you'll choose where we go on vacation, and so forth and so on.
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And while it's possible to do this, it takes work, time, effort, compromise, and generally at every stage,
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someone is going to feel like their own influence is being undermined.
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Want my advice whenever you need it?
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Introducing Orion AI, a speech -enabled agent trained on my entire body of work, now at your fingertips.
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Hey, Orion, why aren't I getting the results I want in dating?
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Here's where I'd start.
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Results in dating are a direct readout of your current market position, not your intentions, not your effort, not how good a person you are, your position.
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Couldn't have said it better myself.
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Orion AI, now available.
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Go to oriontaraband .ai for more info.
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The link is in the description.
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The uncomfortable reality here is that you actually can't compromise on a number of these things.
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That's why they're important to talk about.
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You can't have half a kid.
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If she wants three and you want zero, you're not going to have one and a half.
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Very likely, neither one of you is going to be satisfied with that situation.
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Remember, relationships should accomplish something, and that something should be something only the relationship can do.
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Just consider a company.
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Not only should you and your partner have a complementarity of skills, like no company needs two CEOs,
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but you should be aligned with respect to your overarching mission.
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If you want to invest in data centers and she wants to open a coffee shop chain, you two really can't do business with each other, let alone meet halfway.
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That said, it's virtually impossible to be perfectly aligned with anyone with respect to all five of these things.
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The important thing to consider is the size of the disagreement.
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Small disparities can be navigated.
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If you want sex five times a week and she wants it three times, you can probably make it work.
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However, big disparities, they can't.
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They can't, man.
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My point here is that even in the most ideal situations, some misalignment is inevitable.
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When these hopefully small disparities become apparent, it's important to keep in mind that any difficulties
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that arise often have less to do with the issues themselves than with the meanings that people attach to these issues.
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And people, in my experience, aren't very conscious of these meanings.
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This is one of the main reasons that long -term relationships are much more successful with people who are insightful, honest, and good communicators.
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Otherwise, you will likely fall into repetitive and unproductive arguments.
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Here's an example.
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Probably the number one reason why people get divorced is money.
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Nothing more straightforward than money, right?
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Wrong, wrong.
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There are many meanings that people attach to money, and when people argue about money, they're typically arguing about these meanings without realizing it.
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For instance, two of the most common meanings that people attach to money are money is security and money is freedom.
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People who think that money is security like seeing the big numbers in their bank account.
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Their wealth helps them sleep at night because they feel that no matter what life throws at them, they will be able to handle it with their reserves.
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On the other hand, people who think that money is freedom like spending their money.
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Their wealth enables them to buy lifestyle opportunities and experiences they might not otherwise get to have, which might have been their primary motivation to acquire the money to begin with.
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Neither is wrong.
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They're just different perspectives.
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The problem is that if you're too disparate, every financial decision becomes a zero -sum game.
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After all, every dollar spent is not a dollar saved.
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Spending money will make the money as security person feel anxious and threatened,
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and saving money will make the money as freedom person feel constrained and resentful.
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Unfortunately, most money fights don't go that deep.
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They're about justifying specific purchases.
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Do you really need a new set of golf clubs?
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Or pinching every penny, you're just like your mother, and so on and so on, which is typically why these types of arguments don't actually resolve anything.
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So you can prepare for these five conversations by first examining why your various positions are important to you.
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Get down to the deeper, often emotional meanings you attach to money and sex and identity and family.
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Zero -sum games can be navigated,
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but if and only if the emotional significance of not getting what someone wants can be attended to.
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Just keep in mind that even the best outcomes here require a good deal of work,
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which will necessarily take time and energy away from what the relationship was created to accomplish.
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With respect to long -term relationships, it's generally a better idea to just find someone else who's more aligned on these core issues.
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What do you think?
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Does this fit with your own experience?
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Let me know in the comments below.
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Please send this episode to someone who you think might benefit from this message.
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I know you know someone who needs to hear this
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because it's word -of -mouth referrals like this that really help to make the channel grow.
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I got a bunch of other value propositions for you.
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I have a free weekly newsletter for which I write original content, and I have the opportunity to book paid one -on -one consultations with yours truly.
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You can find out more on my website.
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I also have a couple of books, my bestseller on relationships, The Value of Others, and my psychological novel about Vincent Van Gogh, Starry Night.
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Both are available in e -book, audio book, and paperback formats.
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I have my agent, Orion AI, providing round -the -clock counsel whenever you need it.
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A virtual agent trained on my entire body of work.
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It's awesome.
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I also have my private community, the Captain's Quarters, where I respond to your issues in real time during live group consultations.
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It's a great group.
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Both men and women are welcome.
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Check it out if you are so inclined.
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The links to everything are in the description below.
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As always, I appreciate your support and thank you for listening.
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Why This Video Is Perfect for English Speaking Practice

This clip is a goldmine for improving English pronunciation and speaking skills. Dr. Taraban’s clear, conversational tone—with natural pauses, emphasis, and real-world vocabulary—makes it ideal for shadow speech practice. The topic is relatable, using everyday phrases like “bite the bullet” and “total shit show” that native speakers use, helping learners master casual yet impactful language. Plus, the structured flow of ideas (introducing a problem, explaining solutions) mirrors the organization needed for IELTS speaking practice, making it a versatile tool for both fluency and coherence.

Breaking Down Natural English Phrases

Let’s dissect a few lines to see why they sound authentic. First, “Should go without saying, but it's very important to choose your long-term partner carefully.” The phrase “should go without saying” is a common way to introduce a point that’s obvious but worth emphasizing—native speakers use this to soften directness. Next, “Big disparities in any one of these can make for a difficult relationship at best and a total shit show at worst.” The contrast “at best... at worst” is a natural structure to highlight extremes, and “shit show” (a casual term for chaos) adds realism. Finally, “You might want to hide or qualify your beliefs in order to keep the other person in a relationship you've already decided you want.” The verb “qualify” here means to soften or limit a statement, a nuanced word that shows advanced vocabulary use. These phrases aren’t just grammatically correct—they sound like real people talking.

A Simple Shadowing Routine to Master the Dialogue

Use the shadowing technique to practice this video effectively. Start by watching the clip once to understand the meaning. Then, play short 5-10 second segments, pause, and repeat them aloud, mimicking the tone, pace, and stress. Focus on matching Dr. Taraban’s pronunciation—notice how he stresses words like “irreconcilable” and “resentment” to emphasize key points. For extra practice, record yourself and compare it to the original; this helps identify areas to improve English pronunciation. If you’re using a shadowing app, set it to loop challenging phrases until they feel natural. For IELTS speaking practice, try summarizing the five “hard conversations” in your own words after shadowing—this builds both fluency and the ability to organize ideas, a critical skill for the exam. Repeat this routine daily, and you’ll soon notice your speech sounds more confident and native-like.

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →