Regardless of your relationship status, hearing “we need to talk” from any person in your life is a nerve-racking experience. Whether it be your mom getting ready to dig into you about missing curfew or your significant other out-of-the-blue texting you this, the negative connotations behind these words are enough to scare most people.

The most common misconception about this phrase is that it is followed by bad news. However, it is oftentimes NOT an indication of a break-up or an argument. As someone who has seen these three dreaded words appears on her home screen multiple times, I can assure you that it’s not always a bad thing.

Over 50 percent of the time, these texts were from people who wanted to just vent about their day or have a deep conversation.

I suppose our deepest insecurities come out when we hear these words. Our fears of being left alone, confrontation, etc. rear their ugly heads when we are put in this situation and we consequently have negative attitudes and reactions to “we need to talk.”

Afraid of the conversation and consequences that lay ahead, we develop an irrational fear of hearing or seeing these words when we shouldn’t.

If we allow ourselves to be afraid of three small words, what does that say about us? That we’re insecure individuals who jump to conclusions needlessly.