Is It Healthy To Never Argue With Your Partner? Experts Weigh In

George Clooney recently dropped a casual bombshell, claiming he and his wife Amal haven’t had a single argument in over 10 years of marriage.

Speaking on CBS Mornings in April, Clooney, 63, joked the couple were “trying to find something to fight about.” And while that might sound like relationship goals to some, experts told Newsweek that a complete lack of conflict isn’t always the sign of a perfect union—depending on the dynamics of the relationship, it can be a red flag.

In the interview, Clooney chalked up the pair’s persistent peace to getting married later in life. But is a fight-free marriage the ultimate prize; or could it mean big conversations are being swept under the rug?

Experts say it can go either way. On one hand, some couples are just masters of communication.

“Some couples know how to communicate in such a way that it doesn’t come to arguments,” Leah Levi, psychologist and relationship expert at dating platform, Flure, told Newsweek. “They don’t ignore problems but deal with them gently and early on.” But, she said, a total lack of differing opinion might mean someone’s just always giving in “to avoid trouble.”

Think of it like a superclean room, Levi added: “You either like order, or you just hide everything under the bed.”

Dorcy Pruter, high-conflict divorce coach and CEO of the Conscious Co-Parenting Institute, was even more direct. “When I hear someone say they’ve never argued in 10 years, I don’t immediately think ‘relationship goals.’ I think: what’s not being said?” she told Newsweek, adding that “silence isn’t the same as peace.”

The Warning Signs of Repression

So, how can you tell if the calm is real or just quiet tension?

Signs of suppressed disagreement, according to the experts, include one partner constantly agreeing or avoiding tough topics; conversations feeling shallow, passive-aggressive comments; or a noticeable disconnect when it comes to intimacy. Pruter said that these couples might “look calm on the outside, but inside, one or both partners are emotionally malnourished.”

Both experts stressed that fighting isn’t the enemy—avoidance is.

“Conflicts are a natural part of relationships. They show where everyone’s boundaries, needs and priorities lie,” Levi said. Pruter even called healthy conflict “a form of intimacy,” adding, “it says, ‘I trust you enough to show you my truth.'” The real goal, it seems, isn’t to never fight, but to learn how to do it constructively, focusing on understanding and repair rather than blame or winning.

A lack of arguments might simply mean a couple has high emotional intelligence and trust, Levi added. But often, Pruter said, it stems from childhood experiences where conflict felt dangerous, leading people to “overcorrect” by avoiding tension at all in adulthood.

Arguments cross the line into unhealthy territory when respect disappears. If fights involve “devaluation, manipulation or power competition,” Levi said, or if they are about “control” rather than repair, Pruter warned, it’s a problem.

“It’s not about how much you fight, but how well you repair,” Pruter said.

So, while the Clooneys might genuinely have a uniquely harmonious dynamic, for most couples, a complete lack of disagreement might be worth a closer look to ensure peace isn’t just tension in disguise.