EPISODE · Jul 29, 2026 · 18 MIN
The Intimacy of Being Believed In: The Michelangelo Effect
from Enneagram and Marriage · host Christa Hardin, MA
Close partners sculpt one another by drawing out each other's ideal self, as we learn from the Michelangelo phenomenon, we find that couples who idealize each other are more likely to last and even grow into the best version the other sees in them, Christa explores how love, at its healthiest, is not blind but prescient. She also names the wise center of it all: we are not called to flatter a partner in ways that leave them feeling unseen, but to idealize their virtues while still truly knowing their reality, holding both grace and honesty at once. And she names the shadow side, the Pygmalion pattern, where a critical gaze draws out the lesser self, because we are always sculpting one another, the only question is in which direction. A beautiful, research-grounded invitation to catch the best in the person you love, and call out the self they are still becoming. Listen here! Watch on YouTube! Get the Awakening Intimacy Journal here! Find more about your type, the pod, freebies, and SO much more at our website right here! www.EnneagramandMarriage.com Take the E + M Quiz at www.QuizforCouples.com Love what you're learning on E + M? Make sure you leave us a podcast review so others can find us, too here! Get Christa's Best-Selling Book, The Enneagram in Marriage, here! https://a.co/d/df8SxVx Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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The Intimacy of Being Believed In: The Michelangelo Effect
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