The shouter who protests, “That’s the way I am!” is, however, rarely inclined to extend the same self-forgiving justification to the partner. On the contrary, he or she is likely to turn it into an infuriating insult: “That’s the way you are—you’re just like your mother!” Generally, the remark does not refer to your mother’s sublime baking skills or her talent at dancing the tango. It means that you are like your mother genetically and irredeemably; there’s nothing you can do about it.
