President Trump says an agreement with Iran is imminent. Tehran appears less certain. Whether a deal is signed tomorrow, next week, or next month may ultimately prove less important than the assumptions driving the negotiations themselves.

Diplomacy is often evaluated by what it prevents. A ceasefire prevents violence. An agreement prevents escalation. A negotiation prevents war. These are worthwhile goals. The problem arises when stability itself becomes the primary objective. Once stability becomes the goal, preserving it can begin to outweigh confronting the forces that undermine it.

As a psychotherapist, I spent decades watching troubled relationships fall into this pattern. One partner creates recurring crises while the other becomes increasingly focused on restoring calm. Over time, maintaining the relationship begins to take precedence over addressing the behavior that repeatedly threatens it. Eventually the discussion is no longer about the underlying problem. It........

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