From the original motion picture "He's Just Not That Into You"
Let me preface this post by saying I LOVE this movie. There is such a realness to the way it approaches our reactions to men and relationships. One of the topics explored is how we seek the support of our friends to validate our feelings. We all do it - tell our friends about how he didn't call when he said he would, or how weird he's been acting lately. Then we look our friends square in the face and say, "What do you think?"
Now that's a loaded question if I've ever seen (or asked) one. We don't want to hear that we've been blown off or that the guy we are dating is a jerk. Most times when we are hurt or unsure, we want our friends to make it okay. We want to be the "exception" and not the "rule". This was a novel concept and eye opener from HJNTIY. Listening to our friends regale us with stories of how they once knew a person in our same situation who eventually rode off into the sunset with her man gives us hope. Unfortunately, this is usually the exception and not the rule.
Of course I want to be the exception dammit
Why in the world would we want to feel rejected or hurt? It sucks to think that we've been summarily dismissed by the object of our affection. Unfortunately, the truth hurts sometimes. Having our friends mask that only delays the inevitable. Facing dreaded emotions will only make us stronger in the long run. I am not saying to avoid using your friends as a sounding board, but remember: rules are far more common than exceptions.
