Here's something to get you through the long holiday weekend: denial isn't always a bad thing. According to some psychologists and anthropologists, a little bit of it can vastly improve relationships with friends, annoying family members, and even romantic partners. This news is hugely cheering to Em, who'd rather have a root canal without anesthetic (shout out to James Frey!) than confront someone, face-to-face, about something that's bothering her. Lo, on the other hand, is the communicative one of the two of us (and yes, we frequently feel like an old married couple). She'll even tell Em when she needs to trim her nose hair. And really, who do you know who'd do that for you?

Anyway, apparently "denial is part of the uneasy bargain we strike to be social creatures," according to Michael McCullough, a psychologist at the University of Miami and the author of the book Beyond Revenge: The Evolution of the Forgiveness Instinct. Studies show that--while too much of it can tear apart friends, families, and couples--an occasional dose of denial is what allows us to forgive each other. Also, if you occasionally idealize your partner and overlook their flaws in favor of their strengths, apparently it encourages that person to live up to those idealized standards.

Of course, the key is in not over-denying things. Em thinks she's not an over-denier, but then she would say that, wouldn't she? Being a denier and all. And Lo thinks that Em should break out the trimmer.