Researchers and therapists alike have long been in agreement that intimacy cannot be reduced to a single dimension. It's not a matter of affection, attraction, sex, conflict, or communication alone; rather, it's all of them, all at once. With this combination usually comes a deep sense of familiarity, which Dr. John Gottman, one of the most renowned relationship researchers in modern history, famously called a "love map."
When you bite your tongue repeatedly, underneath it may feel like you are avoiding conflict, but often you're actually building up resentment. We all know that the 'bottle it up and implode or explode later' plan does not work well for any of us. Every unspoken thought becomes a brick in the wall that grows between you and the other person.