Was thinking about this recently and thought it would make a good topic for discussion!
A friend recently told me how she sets out 'tests' for each new man in her life (i.e telling him it's okay to see his friends and cancel their date, but then holding this against him if he goes through with it.) and seemed to spend a great deal of time thinking about ways in which she could play it 'cool' or appear less into him than he was with her etc.
No disrespect to my friend, she's fabulous and has a fair number of suitors so there might even be something in it after all.
However, I've been single for 3 years, in my mid-20s (with 2 DC). I have a new partner of 4 months. We knew eachother in school, have been back in contact and best friends for the last two years, for most of which we have been sleeping together. Four months ago he asked if we could be serious, and I agreed. Nothing has actually changed save the 'label' of being together (We were monogamous even as FWB, and all our friends knew) and the ability to plan for the reasonable future.
Now I love him, very very much. Given how close we've been for a while, I don't hide my real self from him and I don't play games. He's a very straight forward person too. My friend believes we're laying our cards on the table far too soon and that we're doomed to fail because of it.
I don't think this is true and I'm not worried at all. But it did make me wonder, is there an art to relationships? A game plan for success?
Or do we all hobble on as best we can hoping to find someone suitable?