Advice for Love Triangles

The old adage “two’s company, three’s a crowd” describes the problem with a love triangle. When three people are involved in a love affair, at least one will get hurt. Despite the best intentions of the participants, there are times when love triangles appear, leaving the individual at the hub of the triangle the unenviable task of making a life-changing decision. If you are currently a member in a love triangle, consider your resolution options carefully.

Pain-Inducing Dilemma

Almost inevitably, at least one member of a love triangle will be hurt. While there is nothing you can do in the midst of a love triangle to prevent this anguish, you should try to remain cognizant of the other individuals’ feelings at all times. Remaining as upfront and honest as you can about the situation may make the eventual emotional pain burn a little less.

Bow Out

When in the midst of a love triangle, you can always elect to bow out gracefully. By exiting the triangle gracefully, you may ultimately save yourself some heartache and reduce the drama. When faced with a complex love triangle, try to avoid becoming competitive and allowing your drive to win to draw you to engage in battle. Step back and think about the benefits of backing out because this option may be the most advantageous one to select.

Let the Dust Settle

You can avoid the development of a love triangle by keeping your passions at bay, reports The Site. If you find yourself developing affectionate feelings toward a friend’s partner, don’t act on these ideas as soon as they come up. Instead, wait and see what happens with your friend’s relationship. If the couple does eventually split, don’t jump on the newly single partner like a cheetah on an injured gazelle. Instead, allow the dust to settle and let some time lapse. If you still feel the same after several months, consider calling up the friend’s old fling and setting up a date. To ensure that no feelings are hurt, discuss your intentions with your friend and seek her blessing.

Weigh the Options

Love triangles are often emotionally charged. To determine the best course of action for you when faced with a love triangle, try to separate yourself from your emotions and weigh your options as well as you can. To help quantify your emotions, create lists of the merits of the individuals on each side of your triangle. Look at the lists as objectively as you can to determine the best course of action. Once you have made a decision, don’t waver. Back-stepping on your well-formed decision doesn’t help anyone.

Rebuild the Trust

Trust is often damaged, or even completely lost, in a love triangle. When dealing with the aftermath of one of these situations, consider the fact that rebuilding trust is not something that can be done overnight. As the “Psychology Today” website reports, rebuilding trust takes time. Don’t push your partner to trust you again. Instead, tell him that you understand his mistrust and that you will work to regain the trust and rebuild your shattered relationship. This pronouncement shows your commitment to the union and may help your partner learn to trust you again more quickly.