Is it possible for someone to pilfer your partner from you? The answer is no. No one is forcing your partner to leave you. His or her decision to bolt into the arms of someone else is a conscious move on their part.  Even if the other man or woman deliberately tried to woo your partner with their bulging muscles or feminine wiles, the latter is still at fault for falling into temptation and decimating your trust.  Being seduced is no excuse for cheating on one's partner.  If one feels drawn to someone else -- whether physically, emotionally, or both-- they have two options before going down the slippery slope of infidelity: 1. Telling that person to back off and having a serious conversation with their partner in an effort to rekindle attraction and closeness.   2. Ending the relationship before commencing a new one with the other man or woman.  At least, that would be the mature, thoughtful way to handle the situation. ...

It goes without saying that people should never try to hurt others deliberately. Even if someone has hurt or deceived you first -- say, by spreading a rumor about you or cheating on you -- seeking retribution isn't going to make you feel better. If anything, you would be stooping down to their level, making the resentment you feel toward them fester longer. Instead, show you're above such pettiness by speaking privately with them and reaffirming your expectations. If they apologize for what they did, and you wish to salvage the relationship, make it clear to them that you will not carry on unless you're given the respect you deserve. If they do not apologize, or if you're simply at wit's end, make it clear that you want nothing to do with them anymore. (Walking away without declaring your intentions is also your prerogative.) If you want to convey that you're fed up with someone, indifference is far more effective than getting all worked up, as the l...

Going back to my youth, there's one thing about me that has never once wavered: my affinity for deep relationships.  Perhaps this explains why (1) I've kept a small circle of close friends my whole life, and (2) I've always sought serious commitments with girls, as opposed to men who sleep around for a few years before settling down. It goes to show you that for me, it's always been about quality, not quantity. I think having fewer people around minimizes the drama in one's life. The more people you know, the more social pressure you get to conform to others' views and agree with their opinions. I make no effort to maintain superficial relationships in my life. Those people won't be there when I need them, so why even have them as a "friend" on Facebook?  Life isn't a popularity contest. Our high school days are long gone. I have never had any patience for games. I know that makes me come across as a stiff, but I've alw...

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....

Should men always be the ones to drive the car, or should women offer to do so once in a while? Here's my take: A few weeks ago, I submitted a post in which I stated that men should always offer to pay in the early stages of the relationship. However, once the pair have been together for a couple of years, it'd be nice for the woman to occasionally offer to pay for dinner, movie tickets, or something else that won't break the bank. Even if the man is well off enough to pay it himself each time, it's the thought that counts. I bring that same line of reasoning to this post, which poses whether men should always drive. In the courtship stage, men should always offer to drive, whether it's to the beach or a concert. Once the relationship matures, it makes a nice gesture for the woman to volunteer, especially if the day marks a special occasion (birthday, promotion, etc.). After all, is there any harm in driving a few short miles? When it comes to road trips, ...

Over the past few weeks, I've asked 12 women whether they prefer men with facial hair or without. The result? Eighty three percent (10 in total) said they'd choose stubble over the clean look. I find this interesting because, from what I remember, plenty of girls I went to college with swore by the clean, boyish look. It could be that as a woman gets older, she begins to lean in favor of a more manly look. With exception to so-called cougars, it seems most women don't want a partner who looks, say, ten years her junior. Facial hair, after all, makes men look older and more mature. My wife has told me countless times that she prefers I leave my goatee. She actually whines each time I shave it off, but I remind her she need only wait a couple of days for most of it to grow back. I liken this preference to men who prefer that women have long hair. In case you didn't know, most of us do, as it makes women look more feminine. If you haven't noticed, actors who ...