What it is
Every hard conversation has an inherent cost. It’s hard because the topic is hard. The tariff is the surcharge on top of that: the ice, the sarcasm, the silent treatment, the cold week after. It’s what makes bringing things up feel expensive.
When the tariff is high, people stop importing the truth.
How it shows up for me
I used to think I was the one paying tariffs. Then I noticed I charge them too: a tone, a sigh, a long silence. Dropping my own tariff turned out to be the fastest way to get honest conversations back.