By Rex Steel

While syndicated columnists have made a career out of giving advice on love relationships, it is the very last topic you want to get involved in with an adult friend. You have probably known, from an early age, that politics and religion are best left out of ordinary social conversations. When you decide to give your advice on love to your BFF, you would have been far better off having a knock-down drag-out on politics. At least you would not be blamed for the politician’’s actions. Women are much more vulnerable to a friend’’s desperate cry for help on what to do about their current love relationship. Women like to be caring, helpful and supportive, which easily leads to the syndicated columnist syndrome, a friendship pitfall like no other.

You may naturally feel flattered that your friend values your opinion. While that’’s true, if they are asking for your advice on love situations, it’’s equally true that your opinion is biased, in favor of your friend. Your words may not be quite so to-the-point, but that is the general gist of whatever your initial reaction may be. You want to be supportive but you must consider what might next be going through your friend’’s mind.

She would not be asking you for advice if she did not love the person and therein lies the pitfall. As you fix her a nice cup of tea, bringing a box of tissue to the table, letting her know she should never allow the so-and-so to treat her so terribly, she is already mentally zig zagging.

Your friend, in dire need of support and your advice on love, may instead carry on for a while, itemizing his many faults in great and specific detail. You sympathize every step of the way, with the best of intentions. Unwittingly, your friend is already mentally traveling down the road to reconciliation with this awful man. Meanwhile, you have placed both feet squarely in your mouth, with all of your sage remarks.

Depending on the maturity of the person asking for your advice, you might easily find yourself cast as a home breaker. Now you'’re in the frying pan.

People who ask for advice on love relationships usually don'’t really want it. What they do want is to vent and that’’s your only legitimate role. Let that person say everything they want to divulge. Your contribution to the conversation is to advise as little as possible, while being a good listener with a full box of tissue.

When asked for advice on love, don'’t succumb to the meddler in you. Limit your responses to one-syllable remarks. An occasional gasp is OK. Just don'’t get personal.

The only exception to giving advice on love and relationships, is where it concerns your own underage child. Kids can be truly mixed up and really want to know what you have to say. With wisdom, love and a non-judgmental attitude, you might succeed. This is the only situation where it is worth taking such a chance. Giving advice on love is always a dicey proposition.

About The Author

Rex Steel has been involved in the online dating industry for over 15 years. He is known as an authority on the most successful dating sites in the online community. To view his recommendations please visit his new and informative website.

By Alan Bentley

Valentine’’s Day has been celebrated for centuries in western culture:

The first recorded association of Valentine’’s Day with romantic love is in Parlement of Foules (1382) by Geoffrey Chaucer

For this was on seynt Volantynys day
Whan euery bryd comyth there to chese [choose] his make [mate].

Source: Wikipedia

Almost every culture has a day like St. Valentine’’s Day set aside just for lovers and potential lovers alike. In China it’’s called The Night of Sevens. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers anybody? In Japan and South Korea it’’s called White Day. It’’s even celebrated secretly in Iran! Please don'’t tell the Imams that I told you!

Today however, Valentine’’s Day seems to have become a Day of Atonement and reconciliation for many men. What exactly is meant by this? Whatever kind of troubles guys have caused in their relationships, they can always be made better through simple gestures of love. It matters little whether it’’s greeting cards, roses, or champagne. The fact that guys have actually taken the time to show their wives or their girlfriends that they care, means everything to women across the world.

So, that’’s it, right? Men can solve their marriage or relationship problems over the course of one day, 24 hours? That’’s one day out of the 365 and 24 hours out of the 8760 available. When you do the math, it'’d probably not enough. Looking at it this way makes me think that us guys need to do much, much more.

It’’s that easy? All they have to do is give their wives a dozen roses and the problems are solved?

Of course, if it were that simple there probably wouldn'’t be a need for Valentine’’s Day, marriage counseling, anti-depressants, separation, annulments, or divorce! The fact that a cold day in February means so much to women, shows how little us guys do during the year to show our love and appreciation. Think about it. If men took the time once a month to tell their wives, their girlfriends, how much they mean to them, how much they love her, and how beautiful she is, there would a lot less need for marriage counseling, separation and divorce.

The fact that birds are not chirping or mating in the middle of February seems of little importance. The cold temperatures probably bring people together even more. The reality is that women just want to know that the men in their lives care for them, love them, and think of them. Yet, it remains a daunting and elusive challenge for most men. Thus resulting in the significance and importance of one sub-zero day in the middle of February. The bottom line it seems is that everyone wants to love and be loved, if only for one day a year.

So I suggest you get out there and give the one your with the attention that they deserve. Send them a card when it’’s not expected. Send them a singing telegram. Send them flowers. Send them your love. Whatever you do, do it now.

Nobody else does that? Who cares? Your lover chose you because you were different. You were unique. Why not act like it?

What are you waiting for?

About The Author

Alan Bentley, God’’s gift to female/male communication, helps single women across the country unravel mysteries of the male mind helping improve their relationships with men they love. To discover how you can crack the guy code, go to http://www.cracktheguycode.com or email alan@cracktheguycode.com