In this episode, we dive into the faulty thinking trap of Disqualifying the Positive — the mental habit of rejecting compliments, kindness, and progress.

Whether it’s your partner saying, “Thanks for helping with the kids”, or “I appreciate how you listened”, your inner critic swats it away with thoughts like, “She’s just being polite”or “I still screwed up.” This mindset often stems from past experiences where praise felt unsafe, and it trains your brain to only see failure.

Over time, it erodes intimacy and keeps connection out of reach. Greg uses humour and real-life examples to call out this “Compliment Ninja” mentality and offers a simple, powerful antidote: pause, receive, and let it land. Practice saying “Thank you, that means a lot” — and take the win. Because real growth starts when we let the good stuff in.

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In this Men Seeking Calm episode, we explore Negative Filtering — the cognitive trap where men obsess over one critical comment or tense moment, ignoring the many things going right in their relationship.

Whether it’s a forgotten bin or a frustrated sigh, this faulty thinking filters out gratitude, affection, and shared joy, leaving men feeling like constant failures.

Greg shares 10 examples of how this plays out and how it silently feeds resentment, shame, and emotional withdrawal.

The fix? Clean your mental lens. Notice what also went well. Reframe the story

When men start to see the full picture, connection and self-worth begin to return. For more grounded guidance, visit Walk-The-Mountain.com and subscribe to the free newsletter.

In this episode of the Men Seeking Calm podcast, explores Overgeneralization — a type of faulty thinking where one bad moment is exaggerated into a total truth.

It’s the mental habit of thinking “She snapped at me — she always does,” or “We argued — our relationship must be falling apart.”

Greg explains how this distorted thinking turns single events into sweeping judgments, disconnecting men from growth, intimacy, and reality.

Rooted in old trauma or fear, overgeneralization can lead men to label themselves or their partners unfairly, turning everyday conflict into emotional catastrophes.

The antidote? Challenge the “always” and “never,” reframe thoughts, and see the grey areas where love and nuance live. With warmth and humour, Greg reminds listeners that relationships are like weather — not every storm means it’s over.

For more grounded tools and support, visit Walk-The-Mountain.com and subscribe to the free newsletter.

In this episode of the Men Seeking Calm podcast, Greg Martin explores the trap of All-or-Nothing Thinking — a rigid, black-and-white mindset where every mistake feels like total failure and every disagreement signals doom.

In intimate relationships, this thinking shows up as harsh self-judgment and polarizing assumptions like “If I can’t fix this, I’m useless,” or “She’s upset — our relationship must be over.”

Greg breaks down 10 vivid examples and highlights how this faulty thinking creates shame, disconnection, and emotional shutdown.

But there’s hope — the antidote is finding the middle ground. Through humour and real talk, Greg invites men to drop the drama, embrace emotional complexity, and replace perfectionism with presence.

It’s okay to be imperfect. You’re not a villain or a hero — just a bloke figuring it out. For more insights on anger, relationships, and emotional resilience,

visit WalkTheMountain.com and subscribe to the free newsletter.

In this episode of the Men Seeking Calm podcast, Greg Martin explores “Frozen in Conflict” — a shutdown response many men have when facing tough conversations.

Whether it’s criticism, shame, or unresolved anger issues, this reaction can look like silence, withdrawal, or emotional disconnection. Often rooted in emotional flooding, depression as anger, or fear of escalation, this leads to unresolved anger problems and broken connection.

For many men and fathers, this can compound anger outbursts, hurt relationships, and leave partners feeling abandoned.

This episode offers a compassionate roadmap to deal with conflict instead of avoiding it — one monkey off your back at a time.

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In this episode, Greg Martin from WalkTheMountain.com explores contempt—one of the most damaging forces in relationships.

More than just anger issues or anger outbursts, contempt expresses superiority through sarcasm, mockery, and put-downs like “You’re such a loser” or “You can’t do anything right.” It’s not just criticism—it’s humiliation.

Contempt often masks deeper pain, unresolved depression as anger, or ongoing resentment, and is the strongest predictor of divorce. Unlike typical anger problems, contempt erodes connection, self-esteem, and emotional safety.

To shift away from it, Greg offers some thoughts that counter anger control strategies like empathy, mutual respect, and choosing kindness over dominance.

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Defensiveness is another communication choice that degrades Our connection with our partner.

Defensiveness is refusing responsibility for our actions:

by making

• excuses,
• blaming, or
• denying.

We feel overwhelmed by critical feedback. We go into defence mode.

Rather than hearing the other person’s concern, defensiveness deflects or reverses blame,

This makes it harder to resolve issues.

It is a natural inclination to defend, particularly when we are blind-sided by some heavy, critical feedback.

Take Care.

This episode describes CRITICISM and how it impacts our connection with our partner.

… it frays at our connection with our partner.

Our connection with our partner is one of life’s greatest assets, and so if we do something damaging to this connection, it’s a big problem.

… I am going to discuss positive options for when we feel the need to raise a problem with our partners.