When in public with your significant other, we all try to play nice, but people don't always know who is and who is not together.
So their is no reason to incite a brawl if someone flirts with your person.
But it can be difficult to sit back and watch.
Is there a calm etiquette for these situations?
Redditor Hot_Wine_2004 wanted to hear from the guys out there, so they asked:
"Men of reddit, what would be your response to a guy who suddenly starts flirting with your girl?"
I've always let a partner handle their own flirts.
Just like I do.
Thanks
"Had a guy buy our margaritas when my GF ordered them for us at the counter. I thanked him from across the restaurant, free margaritas taste better."
whiskeyriver0987
Episode 2 Margarita GIF by FriendsGiphySweet
"I’d step in and say something. Not because I feel I need to or because my wife can’t handle herself, but because I know her and she likes the feeling of being looked after. I know this because she’s told me."
Psycle_Sammy
"That’s very sweet. Just because you can stand strong doesn’t mean you should always have to. It’s good to know you have backup whether that’s your friends or your husband."
mickbubbles
Give Move Guy
"My wife had a guy offer to buy her drink and when she said she was married he said something to the effect of 'Then let me buy the lucky man his drink instead.' Which I thought was a great way to handle it, and gets you a bar friend most of the time since the guy gets a free drink, and if he is jealous or protective will respond better because he didn't buy her a drink after all."
WurthWhile
I Get It
"Nothing, She is beautiful and I get it. When she shoots them down and they keep trying is when I would step in because its harassments at that point and that is a problem."
To_Fight_The_Night
"Exactly. I had a customer invite my wife on a helicopter ride the other day, totally trying to chat her up. When he asked what she did there she just pointed at me and said 'I’m just hanging out, I’m married to him.' You could see him deflate like a balloon."
Nippon-Gakki
"Yep. My wife's a grown adult and can handle her own."
Kiss my Wife
"I looked at the dude and said 'sorry dude you are not my sister's type' then I immediately kiss my wife. We are both blonde so people think we are related all the time lol."
sled-gang
Let Me Go Love GIF by 3 Doors DownGiphyKeeping it in the family is healthy.
Hey Stud
"Ask him if he’s down for a 3 way to make him uncomfortable."
Smellmyhand
"Plot twist - dude is bi and is totally down for that."
RandomJPG6
Ice Cream Summer GIF by MochimochilandGiphyShe Got It
"I once let my girlfriend handle a situation on her own, and the thing I learned in the process is that it takes a woman a lot more work to deter an aggressive guy."
"As soon as I stepped in, Handsy McNoboundaries apologized to me. Not the stranger whose a** he touched and complimented. She absolutely could handle the situation on her own, and my first impulse was not to treat her like a possession some other guy was touching. But on some level it feels I was condoning the behaviour."
ClusterMakeLove
Trust
"My wife constantly gets hit on.I don't care if men hit on her. I trust her completely and have since the start she has never given me a reason not to trust her."
"When we used to goto the bar together she would get hit on. Guy's would offer to buy her drinks, she would always tell them my drink of choice."
"After she gets the drinks she would thank them walk away then hand the drink to me."
"If people don't respect her boundaries that's where I step in. We have never had any bad experiences with men hitting on her. Normally once they see her with me they basically just walk away."
Islefive
They Get the Idea
"It depends on the situation. Most the time I think good luck man, hope she doesn’t embarrass you. I know she’s coming home with me at the end of the day."
"If the guy is obviously creepy and making her uncomfortable, I typically step in and make sure he gets the point."
"I’m not a small guy so they usually get the idea."
"I don’t really care for confrontation or violence, but with that said, I won’t tolerate someone harassing my wife or making her uncomfortable."
assa9sks
Beautiful
"My wife is gorgeous in my eyes, but she is incredibly hard on herself. After kids, antidepressants, and being 20 years older than she was when we started dating she doesn’t always see that she’s the most beautiful person for me. Someone else gonna start talking her up and wants to get in her pants? I’d just tell her I told you so."
fuqaduck
beautiful happy endings GIFGiphyThe ladies got it handled and so do the men apparently.
Woman's Tweet About 'Triggering' Her Friend's 'Insecurities' By Being Too Successful Divides The Internet
The word "triggered" is misused and thrown around a bit too freely these days.
A prime example of this was when Twitter user @themagicmuir, aka Ciara, tweeted about what it means to be a true friend.
Actual triggering refers to survivors of trauma with PTSD, people with anxiety disorders, people with obsessive compulsive disorder, people with sensory processing disorders or people on the Autism spectrum having involuntary reactions to certain situations or stimuli. As part of treatment, they're counseled to identify and develop strategies for dealing with their triggers.
But much of the cultural landscape has coopted the term, trivializing the experiences of those with clinical or medical triggers that they have to avoid as they work on strategies to deal with them.
Ciara didn't hold back when it came to her thoughts on "triggering" and "communication" between besties, but it didn't quite come off the way she intended.
Now the tweet has made major waves on Twitter, which isn't surprising due to the controversial statement.
She posted:
"One of my friends told me she can't talk to me right now, because my success is triggering her insecurities and jealousy."
"I respect the hell out of her for being open and vulnerable."
"Communication is key, which is why we must all come from a place of non-judgement."
One of my friends told me she can’t talk to me right now, because my success is triggering her insecurities and jea… https://t.co/KtYkula7rX— Ciara (@Ciara) 1580419496.0
Talking about a friend's insecurity and jealousy seems like something that should not be blatantly exposed for the world to see. It seems a little insensitive to broadcast this to begin with, but doing so in a humblebrag has brought criticism from the rest of the internet.
Ciara followed it up with a bit of self help guru inspiration.
"We are all capable of success. If I can do it, so can you."
"It's a matter of believing in yourself. All it takes is dedication and action."
We are all capable of success. If I can do it, so can you. It’s a matter of believing in yourself. All it takes is dedication and action.— Ciara (@Ciara) 1580419566.0
Thanks, Ciara.
The tweets have truly divided Twitter, with some not reacting so kindly.
@Themagicmuir This is a BIG YIKES for me. Communication and honesty is great, but girl come on. Tou have a toxic fr… https://t.co/INnuoKNKZt— ⋒MJ⋒ (@⋒MJ⋒) 1580483323.0
@Themagicmuir I’m sorry, no, her feelings should not be accommodated. They should be corrected. This is a patently… https://t.co/LfBtljSocF— 🕊Redacted by redacted 🕊 (@🕊Redacted by redacted 🕊) 1580483368.0
@Themagicmuir I'm pretty sure that was hate. Real friends celebrate your wins.— Joshen McEwen (@Joshen McEwen) 1580471534.0
@Themagicmuir I commend her for being honest .. most just ghost you without telling you . She wouldn’t be my friend… https://t.co/thKy7uFvX1— ✨MAIN Page -Queen of Zamunda✨👑 (@✨MAIN Page -Queen of Zamunda✨👑) 1580504912.0
@Themagicmuir We'd be over. I have no place in my life for friends who are not happy for my successes, and/or are s… https://t.co/ff43tETYMC— Black Together Again (@Black Together Again) 1580518233.0
@Themagicmuir If your friends can’t get behind your successes and be happy for you are they really your friend?— Courtney. 💌 (@Courtney. 💌) 1580480759.0
@Themagicmuir Honestly, cut her off. Eventually she will try and sabotage you and drag you down. Surround yourself… https://t.co/6ss243dlKt— NELLYOBII (@NELLYOBII) 1580477812.0
Others commended her for how she and her friend handled the situation.
@Themagicmuir @MindTendencies2 No one can help what they feel. It’s how you react to your emotion that defines you. She’s a keeper.— Wisdom Spitter (@Wisdom Spitter) 1580423435.0
@Themagicmuir salute to you for being mature enough to understand where she's coming from bc I know a lot of people… https://t.co/A5t2B2Wk1Z— big tex (@big tex) 1580429041.0
@Themagicmuir Im going through a similar situation. My expartner, is someone I really love and admire but triggers… https://t.co/lGYBiu4M99— Draco Reptilian (Astronauta Radical) (@Draco Reptilian (Astronauta Radical)) 1580425806.0
@Themagicmuir I’m really satisfied with how this tweet ended. I didn’t expect that.— charbear. (@charbear.) 1580437262.0
Whether or not you believe Ciara and her friend did the right thing—or if you believe this friend being traumatized by Ciara's overwhelming success even exists, one thing's for sure.
Social media posts about your amazing level of success "triggering" your friend isn't a good look.
You start a new relationship.
Things appear to be going quite well.
Then the mind games start.
The incessant phone calls.
The accusations.
The recriminations.
This was today's burning question from Redditor imgenerallyaccepted, who got us thinking about all the times we let those red flags slide:
"What is your 'red flag' in a person when you're in the early stages of dating?"
Never again.
"Got jealous..."
"Got jealous about every single call you received, even when it was from your family members. Accusing you of "cheating with that whore you're on the phone with" (even though that "whore" was your dad.)
"They ended up being a major cheater in the end."
Sounds like a possessive idiot who you're better off without. People like this are nothing but trouble.
"We're not in high school..."
"Playing head games. We're not in high school, and you aren't on the Bachelorette. Be honest, sincere, and forthcoming, and we'll get along just fine. I'm in my mid-thirties, and thus am too old and rickety to jump through hoops."
I hear that! It's too much to go through something like that, especially when you're older and should absolutely know better.
"I dated a guy..."
"I dated a guy for 2 months that flat out told my dad (we started dating just before my birthday so they met for a birthday dinner) he wanted to get me pregnant so he could lock me in. I then found out he had a separate life when his other girlfriend found my phone number on my business page."
You really dodged a bullet there! Good thing you're away from him.
"Blowing up my phone..."
"Blowing up my phone at two in the morning is a big one for me. I don't mind so much if it's one or two messages late at night so long as they obviously know most people are asleep around then, but if I wake up to like a dozen or so texts where they're growing increasingly mad that I'm not responding, it's a red flag."
That is absolutely a red flag. Tells you everything you need to know and it's good to steer clear.
Amen to that. It's exhausting to have to decipher what someone else is thinking!
"It got under my skin..."
"If they aren't willing to compromise on things, or they think their time is more precious than yours. My ex lived about 30 min away from me. I always met at his place or his town for stuff be never the other way around because he was, "too tired".
"It got under my skin because he literally was a 5 min drive from his job and I already averaged about 90 miles a day for work alone. So I'd drive for work, go home and then drive to his place."
"One day he tried rushing me out of our morning yoga class that ran over time, like got really uptight about it, so he wouldn't be late for work (still 5 min away). Meanwhile I was gonna have at least a 25 min commute to get to my job and wasn't that worried about it. I broke things off for other reasons but that one really buttered my rolls because I dealt with it everyday."
"Buttered my rolls" is certainly a creative way to describe your annoyance.
"The one that raises..."
"The one that raises straight away for me is if they talk bad or down on others, even people they dont know and it's merely off how they look or dress."
Indeed. It's best to keep your mouth shut, especially about things that do not concern you.
Best Excuses For Late Assignments That Were Actually True | George Takei’s Oh Myyy
"When they dodge..."
"When they dodge answering questions or cut you off when you're talking. I give them a pass the first time because it might be nerves but if it keeps happening it's not ok."
True. Anything more begins to feel like evasiveness.
"Being flaky..."
"Being flaky with communication and/or meeting up. To an extent life can and will get in the way, but there's a certain level of enthusiasm you want to see from a potential partner and if they can't muster it during the honeymoon stage of dating, it's probably not going to improve later."
This is an excellent point. Whether someone is willing to make time for you tells you so much.
"My Pop..."
"Yelling. My Pop was a yeller, as is my brother. Sends me into immediate panic."
Sorry you had to go through that. So uncomfortable.
We are taking notes on all of these. Do you have similar experiences to add to our list? Let us know in the comments.
Woman's Scared To Show Her Hyper Competitive Roommate Her Small Engagement Ring—And We've Got Feelings
My [26F] roommate [28F] won't leave me alone about my engagement ring.
I've been dating my BF for almost 4 years now, and we've recently gotten engaged. We will be moving in together once both our leases are up, so roughly 8 months from now.
We didn't spend much on my engagement ring. We didn't feel it was necessary, and we would rather spend that money on a down payment for a house or a nice vacation. It cost under $1k, and I absolutely love it. It doesn't have diamonds or anything fancy, it's quite basic/simple, but it fits my style quite well. I make significantly more than my BF currently, so we decided on a less expensive ring that he could afford more easily.
My roommate is spoiled and demanding. She would demand her BF's take her on expensive vacations, nice dinners, shopping trips to upscale stores, and always expects them to pay for her. She constantly demands attention, and yells at/hits her BF if she feels they aren't being devoted enough to her or doing what she wants.
She recently broke up with her long-term boyfriend (of 5 years, they almost were engaged) because she was upset that he didn't call her as soon as he got home from work everyday (she was angry that he took time for himself and had hobbies that didn't involve her), and then found a new boyfriend less than a month later which she then proceeded to rub in his face as a reminder to him that he "didn't do enough for their relationship" even though she did nothing and expected him to change everything about himself to fit her needs.
When I got engaged, I didn't tell her. I feel like she tries to find something to make fun of in everything. If I mention that BF cooked me dinner, she will mention how her ex would take her out to extremely upscale restaurants all the time, and how it's so sad that my BF won't do the same for me. If I mention we went on vacation for a few days, she'll mention how her ex took her to Europe for a week (after she demanded a grand gesture for him to "prove" his love). She constantly makes fun of the fact that my BF is poor (he's not, he just doesn't earn much right now but he's very financially responsible) and he clearly doesn't love me enough to do all the things her boyfriends do for her.
I've essentially stopped interacting with her unless I really need to. Thing is, I live with her. Eventually, my roommate will notice the ring or hear from somebody and start asking questions. When our mutual friend got engaged, she immediately demanded to see the ring and started asking if they're real diamonds, how much the ring cost, why they didn't buy a more expensive one, what their proposal was like, how much they'll spend on the wedding, when it is, etc.
Frankly, I'm not interested in telling her a single detail about anything. It's tacky and off-putting to be asking those questions to someone, in my opinion. I don't want her knowing I'm engaged or any details, I don't want her at the wedding, and I don't want her opinions on any of it.
If/when she brings it up, how do I gracefully deflect or make it clear that I'm not comfortable giving her any details?
TL;DR: spoiled hyper-competitive roommate is going to ask a bunch of intrusive questions and make weird comments once she finds out I'm engaged. How do gracefully tell her to f*ck off?
"It is exactly what I wanted. I hope when you get married you can be as lucky as I am and have a fiance who knows you well enough to get you exactly what you want."
She is less likely to be critical if she goes straight into talking about what she wants?
I really like this answer. It's not apologetic, it's very to-the-point, and I think it gets the message across very well.
Look at her like she has 4 heads and go "Huh? Are you asking how much my ring *costs*? That is totally *bizarre*. I'm not going to talk about that, it's wildly inappropriate."
I'm a big fan of this technique. "Did you really just say that? That's so rude - you must be so embarrassed." And then just walk away.
I know people like this don't get embarrassed (because they honestly believe that everyone is just DYING to hear their opinion on everything) but it'll make you feel a bit better. Especially if there are other people around to hear.
Frankly I'm not really sure I'd bother with "graceful" considering how abusive this girl is.
I'd answer any and all nosy questions with "I dunno" or "We're not sharing that" or "I'm happy with it". Editorial comments get a "Duly noted" with an absolute deadpan expression. Don't tie yourself into knots trying to avoid her judgement. Her judgement is utterly meaningless. Treat it like fruit flies - obnoxious to have in the house, you'd rather not see them, but until you can starve them out it's best to just not think about them.
"It's tacky and off-putting to be asking those questions to someone, in my opinion."
You should tell her exactly that if she makes any comments. It IS tacky and rude and none of her business. Congrats on your engagement, your ring sounds lovely!
Am I the only one bothered that she used to hit her ex? She was abusive. I'm leaning more towards the Gray Rock technique than the confrontational one.
Give her short answers of a grunt up to three words. If she makes a snarky comment, agree with it. "Your partner must be a cheap asshole." "Mm," "Uh huh," or "I guess" wihtth a shrug of the shoulders. She starts running on about it: put on headphones.
If at any moment she gets in your face or threatens violence, call the police.
Hopefully I'm exaggerating, but it sounds like she does need her narcissistic supply from somewhere, and she might get jealous of you.
Her: \*says tacky and insensitive things about ring\*
You: "good thing it's not yours!" \*smiles and skips away happily in love and engaged <3 \*
Your roommate is very insecure. Brat is far from the word. Just dont engage. Make small talk . She ruined her own relationship by being self centered. If she gets mean etc., just walk away. Put head phones on. I wouldn't have her in your wedding either, just saying.
Congratulations though :)
When she asks if it's an engagement ring and you say yes, then she starts in on how inexpensive it must have been, you cut her off and say "This is the ring I chose because it's the style I wanted. The fact that you only see it in terms of dollar signs is exactly why I don't want to talk to you about it." and leave the room.
If she jumps right to complaining you didn't tell her you were engaged/wanting to discuss wedding plans, say "Every time I tell you something (boyfriend) and I have done you insult it, so I don't want to discuss my wedding details with you."
It sounds like she's jealous, so she uses bragging as a coping mechanism to make her feel better about the fact she's an unhappy person. That's really all she's got going for her.
Your roommate is a jerk, and she sounds like someone I would 100% burn bridges with if you’re moving out soon. The next time she tries to one-up you or criticize your relationship I would just say “That was INCREDIBLY rude” and walk away or quite literally tell her to f*ck off. She sounds like a miserable person and misery loves company.