Those who have been on a lengthy quest to find Mr. or Ms. Right without success probably thought it was hard enough already. But now that they're being forced indoors due to the coronavirus, they find their possibilities even more limited. So what are they to do? If you're already dating someone, talking on the phone and exchanging texts can certainly get old after a while. But no one says you can't have ANY in-person contact. You could arrange to have dinner at either person's house. Maybe the host can cook, and next time you meet at the other's place. Or, you could just spring for delivery and cap off the night with a good movie. There's also the option of taking a walk around the neighborhood (so long as you practice social distancing from others). So, that works for those who've recently begun dating, but what about people whose little black book is, well, empty? That's easy: They can take to online dating sites. Even if they've...

What would you say is the worst possible way for someone to break up with his or her partner? While we can certainly run wild with this, many of you might say it's when the breakup comes on the heels of an exposed affair. ("Yes, I'm with someone else now, so we're through.") That's undoubtedly a terrible way for a relationship to meet its demise. Cheating, after all, is a deplorable act; it is hands down the most egregious breach of trust one can carry out. But the case can also be made for ghosting. Ghosting, by definition, is the practice of ending a personal relationship with someone by suddenly and inexplicably withdrawing from all communication. Ending a relationship in this way is callous and dastardly, especially if both partners have been together for an extended period of time. The most appropriate way to do it is face-to-face. Breaking up with someone via text or email smacks of insensitivity, but it's still better than ceasing cont...

When society tries to make you feel guilty for enjoying your alone time, tell it to go fly a kite! There's nothing wrong with taking pleasure in your own company. It doesn't make you weird. It doesn't make you antisocial. It doesn't make you selfish. And it doesn't make lonely and desperately desirous of human contact. It makes you human! We all have to interact with others on a daily basis -- whether with family at home or coworkers in the workplace -- plus attend to other matters that can further sap our time and energy, from flat tires to unexpected doctor's visits. This can leave us feeling drained at the end of the day, prompting us to seek solitude. For many people -- particularly the introverts among us -- nothing can be more rejuvenating than time spent indulging solitary activities like reading, watching movies, and sleeping. Extroverts, on the other hand, derive energy from social interaction, so it should come as no surprise they would be du...

What would you say is the worst kind of punishment you can inflict on someone? While many might feel it's delivering physical abuse (e.g., beating the person up), I firmly believe that mental and emotional damage can be far more difficult to rebound from. Such wounds can take far longer to heal. When it comes to indifference, stop for a moment and think about just how painful it must be to realize that someone near and dear to your heart -- whether it's your partner, friend, or a family member -- couldn't care less about you anymore. Such indifference could come in many forms, with unanswered texts or calls chief among them. Perhaps you don't get a call on your birthday from the individual, or even after just having gone through a trying experience (e.g., emergency surgery or a death in the family). It could very well be that we forgot the person's birthday, weren't there when they needed us, or had a huge argument with them, and now they've cut of...

There are two kinds of people who give excuses when it comes to establishing or maintaining contact with you: (1) Those who give excuses for why they can't call, text, or visit you, and (2) Those who come up with excuses to call, text, or visit you. Notice the difference? While the former can sometimes serve up valid reasons (e.g., have to take care of kid, have to do work at home, etc.), if the weeks continue to go by and the person doesn't bother to answer your texts or return your calls, face it -- they just don't care enough about the relationship. The latter group shows the exact opposite. Come hell or high water, they find a way to squeeze some time into their schedule for the two of you to catch up because they value you and do not want the relationship to falter. A little distance is commonplace even in the healthiest relationships. We all lead different lives with disparate schedules and changing priorities. But that doesn't mean a brief phone call ...

Your time is precious. It's the only thing in life that you can't get back once it's gone. That being said, it needn't be spent on people who won't give you the time of day. You're worth so much more than that. If you find that your calls and texts go unanswered, your proposals to hang out fall on deaf ears, and your interest level far exceeds that of the other person, it's time to reevaluate the relationship. People make time for the things and people that matter most to them. If they can't carve out so much as a minute to reply to your text message, it means you're definitely not high up on their priority list. At this point, it may be tempting to contemplate to death the reasons why they may be unresponsive or seem disinterested. A bevy of questions might cross your mind, including: Could they be seeing someone else? Have they lost interest in me? Did I do something wrong? Is something going on in their personal life? Are they h...