Threatening to Break Up as Manipulation During Every Argument

Every time you say "maybe we should just end this" without meaning it, you chip away at the relationship's foundation. The first time it shocks; the tenth time it bores. Your partner either stops taking you seriously or starts actually preparing to leave. False exit threats don't win arguments -- they erode the sense of safety that holds everything together. Eventually someone will call the bluff, or beat you to the door.