If a couple is unable to have a fight and so bring up what is on their minds, they are dealing with each other by withdrawal techniques... With each avoidance, the area that cannot be discussed grows larger until ultimately they may have nothing they can safely talk about. When a couple cannot fight, all issues which require defining an area of the relationship are avoided. The couple will eat together and watch television side-by-side, but their life has little shared intimacy.
- Jay Haley