A few mornings ago, I wearily flicked on my computer and logged onto Facebook before my early class and the first thing shared on my timeline was a Thought Catalog piece called “18 Ugly Truths About Modern Dating That You Have To Deal With.”
Armed with a fresh cup of coffee, I tried to make a neutral face and boldly clicked the picture of Rashida Jones and Andy Samburg looking mysterious as they hold glasses of wine [still deciphering if it’s relevant to the article or not].
After I finished, I realized that most of the these bullet points stem from the person you are dating, not “modern day society.”
So, I had a few responses to some of the bullet points about how my future relationship is [apparently] going to pan out.
1) “The person who cares less has all the power.” Has anyone honestly ever tried to care? From a passionate career, I can tell you two things: One, it’s easy. Admit you have feelings and then follow through with what those feelings prompt you to do.
2), you actually have more power. Sure, if you get screwed over, it hurts. But at least you are not the screw-ee. You know what society does to the screw-ee? Shames them. People who don’t care get bad raps for not caring. I still don’t understand why anyone would want to have a reputation of breaking hearts and refusing to take names.
5) “Set plans are dead.” Set plans better not be dead because I know where the cutting knives, frying pans and pepper spray is kept in my home. Ask your partner out on dates or to hang out or don’t date them. I repeat, do not date the person if you are going to just casually make plans with them. Or maybe I’m the only one out there who likes to feel pampered and special every once in a while.
6) “People cheat and betray and move on happily while the person they left is in shambles.” This is always how it is, and how it always will be. Nothing new here. Carry on.
12/13) “Social media creates new temptations and opportunities to cheat … [it] creates the illusion of having options.” If you don’t trust your significant other on social media, then I hate to break it to you: your relationship is not healthy. And that, my friends, is another can of worms that does not pertain to dating someone in today’s society. It pertains to the person you are dating.
15) “You’ll either wind up with them forever or break up.” Are you trying to tell me this is a new concept? You’re telling me no one came to this realization until this century?
16) When dating, instead of expressing how they feel directly to you, a person is more likely to post a Facebook status or Instagram, etc.” I don’t know who you are dating, but expressing feelings has never been an issue in my relationships, even the ones that I consider “flings.” If you are getting involved with someone who does not have the courage to tell you how they feel face-to-face then don’t date them. Things could get awkward if you try and propose or something along those lines.
18) “If you get dumped, it’s going to be brutal.” No way. Tell me something I don’t know.
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