It's a question asked of me quite often. In the rough-and-tumble that is the dating world, do you stand out if you actually care less? Well, that depends on the people we're dealing with. Take a blonde bombshell who gets asked out all the time, with guys buying her flowers and candy left and right. Then, out of nowhere comes an attractive guy who isn't swooning over her. Though friendly, he treats her as he would any other woman he meets. She doesn't know for sure whether he's interested in her -- something she, quite frankly, is unaccustomed to -- and that piques her interest. The guy is effectively posing a challenge, and she's compelled to unearth why he doesn't allow himself to be made putty in her hands like all the other chumps do. That being said, giving off a more non-chalant vibe might work when the target is very attractive and has no shortage of options to choose from. Some people perceive those who give them the cold shoulder to...

If there's something we could all agree on, it's that there is always going to be something about every individual in our life -- from our partner to our friends to our coworkers -- that we don't necessarily like. There's always going to be a trait, tendency, or quirk that gets under our skin and that we would probably do away with if given the choice. Maybe they're a tad cheap. Perhaps they're a bit stuck-up. They could very well be messy, aloof, or prone to lying. Hopefully, we are able to turn a blind eye to these perceived shortcomings. But for those things that aren't as easy to gloss over, it's up to us to decide what we're willing or not willing to tolerate. The key question becomes: At what point does something we perceive as a character flaw in another person become too much to handle? Let's be fair, though. It isn't as if we're perfect either. So if we decide to cut ties with someone because of, say, their substa...

Don't ever regret a relationship that has ended but at one point made you smile. Whether it's your boyfriend of three years with whom you didn't see a future or an old friend who stopped putting effort into seeing you, they made you feel happy along the way, so you shouldn't lament having them in your life. What's more, you likely learned a thing or two from that individual. Maybe it was how to swim, how to cook, or the best way to approach your boss about asking for a raise. Relationships sometimes end miserably, and there's nothing wrong with not wanting to see or hear from the person again. Still, you shouldn't regret the existence of that relationship, for it helped mold you into who you are today. Perhaps it made you realize the kinds of friends or partner you really yearn for in your life. Sometimes we go through a bad experience with one person, learn from our mistakes, and have a much better experience the next time around. That's pre...

The other day, I stumbled upon an article or post on Facebook about someone disgruntled over something her new boyfriend was doing. He wasn't cheating. He wasn't staying out late. He wasn't spending wastefully. He was simply calling her several times a day. Now, people have different thresholds for what they consider excessive calling. If you've just begun dating the person, calling more than twice a day may give off the impression that you're a tad clingy. But that all depends on the person. Some people get so "into" their partner that they might welcome a flurry of calls each day. That's why you have to gauge early on whether the other person would be receptive to more calls or turned off by them. As I indicated in my post yesterday, I know full well from experience that relationships in which one person is very clingy and the other typically standoffish don't work out too well in the long run. There has to be more if a balance....

It isn't always easy to comprehend why some people -- whether it's a friend, partner, or family member -- are prone to aloofness. You know, that friend or relative who you hear from occasionally but are unable to communicate with as regularly as you'd hope. It can often be attributed to two things: 1. Genuinely busy -- Between two jobs, work, and kids, the person has hardly enough time even for himself. Under such constraints, it's difficult to keep in touch on a consistent basis. 2. Making excuses -- Maybe the person could find better ways to budget his time so he can speak with you more often, but doesn't find it worthwhile to expend the effort. If that's the case, it raises an interesting question: Why bother keeping that person in your life in the first place? It's possible he is not deliberately avoiding you, only that life gets in the way. If you feel you've been put on the back burner, speak to him about it -- perhaps her reasons for being...