Good communication skills is the bed rock of any healthy dictatorship relationship. According to Meera Deshmukh, a relationship counsellor we found on Yahoo Answers, communication between partners is paramount “whether you’ve been married for 50 years, or running a country to the ground”. 

Here are 7 simple ways you can effectively improve communication skills between you and your partner (in crime)…

1) Use ‘I’ statements

Your partner might feel attacked if you come at them with phrases like “You always”, or “You never”. This makes them think that you’re only focusing on what’s wrong with them. Deshmukh recommends using universal statements, like “I forgot to check the notes we scribbled together on our shared copy of Mein Kampf”. This will let your partner feel comfortable enough to communicate with you.

2) Stay on topic

When conversing with your partner about one topic, don’t bring another topic into the conversation. “If you’re discussing how to completely flush the country’s economy down in the toilet, don’t suddenly bring up how you plan to send one particular minority to concentration detention camps,” says Deshmukh, “Focus on one thing at a time.”

3) Ask questions

The best way to figure out what’s bothering your partner is to ask the right questions. “Make it a habit to ask your partner how their day was? Or which speech of Hitler did they try to copy for the speech they gave earlier that day?” Suggests Deshmukh, “Expressing you’re interested in  their life will go a long way in saving your relationship.

4) Pick your timing

Expressing your feelings to your partner is always justified, but it’s best to keep timing in mind when you choose to do so. “Don’t bring up a problem when you know there’s no time to discuss it properly,” says Deshmukh, “But, alternatively, address your differences before your partner steps on to the Dias and makes a fool out of your bigoted ass in front of the public.”

5) Complement each other

The one thing we do without realising is that we start taking our partner for granted. “Once you get too comfortable with someone, you start getting complacent and this can breed resentment,” says Deshmukh, “Keep pointing out the little things you appreciate in your partner, like how they always do the dishes because you hate getting dish soap on your hands, or how well they propagate communal hatred amongst citizens while pretending to be the victims.”

6) Have a positive attitude

Without believing that a problem can be solved, you can never achieve the solution. “When approaching your partner, keep a positive attitude,” suggests Deshmukh, “Be properly motivated that talking through the problem can help  your relationship. For instance, if you’ve already made up your mind that your partner will never understand how him saying that the NRC would be implemented across the country and then you refuting it in your speech a few days later, will confuse your target audience.”

7) Remember you’re in this together

It’s easy to start believing that you’re alone in the struggle to implement all your goals and dreams, especially if you’ve been in a long term relationship. “You have to believe that your partner is supporting you in your goals and dreams, just as you are doing to them,” says Deshmukh, “Give them positive affirmations, like ‘You got this’, or ‘I believe that together we can destroy our democracy’ often so that they don’t feel alone.”