By David Zinczenko Provided by: Men's Health

Dave Zinczenko's Mysteries of the Sexes Explained

Who's REALLY Threatening Your Relationship? By David Zinczenko - Posted Fri, May 25, 2007, 2:30 pm PDT

Showing 16-30 of 2833 Comments

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  • 16. Posted by A Yahoo! Health User on Mon, May 28, 2007, 10:27 am PDT

    messengerboy77-I'm sorry I just gotta respond to what you said. I get so sick of people saying that your romantic partner should be your best friend as well. In some cases it does just happen that way but it's not like its crucial to the relationship. My best friends traditionally have always been males. When it came to my former fiancee I admitted to her she wasn't one of my best friends but she was my favorite. Even with that special type of feeling toward her we still didn't work out. Friendship doesn't save a romantic coupling it is only an enhancement and nothing more. Also who the heck loves anybody unconditionally? Man unless it's your mom love is always conditional. Trust me the chick you with loves you for what you do and how you carry on, and that works vice versa too. For example if she just stops doing her hair, dress like she aint got no sense, stops washing her behind, don't cook or clean, and let the kids run wild you gonna be out on the first thing smoking! Let you come home smelling like beer, some other woman's lipstick on your collar, and you can't explain what happen to your last couple of paychecks she gonna tell you peace out! My point is she with you cause you're a good man and you're with her cause she's a good woman. Yaw mess with that part too much and your relationship is over aint nothing unconditional about that. Man I'm bored, stressed out, and aint had a good piece of #@! in too long so don't take any of this personal I'm just having fun.

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  • 17. Posted by A Yahoo! Health User on Mon, May 28, 2007, 11:26 am PDT

    I will agree with the Co-Worker being a BIG threat. "Chances are that if you have a gut feeling about a lurking somebody, there may be something to it." When I met the other woman at a company party, I got that weird, lurking feeling like no other when my now ex-husband introduced me to her. All the while she knew I had a toddler and a newborn at home and she still pursued my ex. Wow! The nerve of some women!!!

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  • 18. Posted by A Yahoo! Health User on Mon, May 28, 2007, 5:37 pm PDT

    I don't like to swollow, how do i over come that problem and who would be the best person to ask

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  • 19. Posted by A Yahoo! Health User on Mon, May 28, 2007, 6:16 pm PDT

    To the first few blogger ladies that went all out on me for my comments in #1; I stand by what I said. I have read some of your previous comments on this column, and some of you are just angry because you like the guy. I did not attack the guy directly, but I still believe that it's a sad world to live in, where you see a threat to your relationship everywhere you look; that has a name, it's paranoia. If you see a threat in the people around your partner, then it's because you don't trust him or her enough to stay true to you in the presence of other attractive people. In any case, be it that your partner does not inspire you to trust them, or that you are just an insecure person with low self esteem, what good is a partner that you can't trust? I mean, do you really think that watching over these people is going to make any difference? That would make you a masochist (thanks for the correction), someone that insists in maintaining a relationship even though it gives them more reason for suffering than for happiness.

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  • 20. Posted by A Yahoo! Health User on Mon, May 28, 2007, 7:43 pm PDT

    If you don't trust your partner, then there really is no relationship, is there?

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  • 21. Posted by A Yahoo! Health User on Mon, May 28, 2007, 8:40 pm PDT

    How do you avoid infidelity? RESPECT. R--Reason with each other-Talk- Communication is key E-- Enrich each other with kind words S-- Show each other LOVE P--Protect one another in that Love E--Enjoy being togather C--Care about the other's feelings and Concerns T--Think before you ACT .. so you will not regret it

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  • 22. Posted by A Yahoo! Health User on Mon, May 28, 2007, 8:55 pm PDT

    Co-Workers and Exes. I hate both and get tired of "They know I don't want them. This is our world" That's not the point. Get a life or a man or both and fade the "f" away. Quietly. My exes or co-workers mention possibilities. I squash them. End of story.

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  • 23. Posted by A Yahoo! Health User on Tue, May 29, 2007, 6:17 am PDT

    To message #20 - everyone might flip out but whatever - I think that if you know Gods love and how he loves ALL OF US unconditionally, then you can follow his footsteps and love your husband or wife unconditionally. Those are vows we take and are suppost to commit to when we get married. I do agree with Daves blog to some extent. I would think that the majority of everyone here has been threatened to some extent whether it'd be a co-worker or the "just friends" thing and probubly some other situations that should arise that weren't mentioned. It is a hurtful world out there, no doubt about that, relationships are hard to maintain, whether its romantic or not. Thats the way it is. But I believe that you must trust your partner unless given a reason otherwise. Jealousy is a big factor that plays in this. If you are insecure with yourself, then you will question the beautiful blonde who answers the phones in your husbands work place or the handsome man who gives your wife things to file. It is natural to feel insecure at times, everyone goes through these emotions, however, it is not good to hound or bark at your partner just because someone attractive works with or for them. That causes unessasary anxiety and stress on your partner and then they just might actually start to look at that attractive person your complaining about and wonder "whats all the fuss about" when they werent even looking in the first place. As far as the friend thing goes, I believe that if your partner was friends with this person before they even met you than it will probubly go no further than that, otherwise, wouldn't they be with them? Ofcourse it is natural to wonder, what would it be like to be with that person who has been my friend all these years, the thought probubly did cross their mind at one point or another, and it still might while they are in a relationship with you. But being a man or a woman, we all still have eyes and sex organs, its just natural to look and wonder. As long as they dont act upon their thoughts. We are all just human, but should remain faithful to the one who we have chosen to spend our time and love and life with. Just take care of each other and act unselfishly in providing the love and emotional support your partner needs. Always listen, even if you are tired and dont feel like it. Give your partner the sex he or she needs and if you dont like to do something they do like, do it anyway to please them. Women, spice up your marraige, get dressed up with no where to go, do your hair and makeup and when your husband comes home, make him a good dinner, let him eat in peace without complaining about anything, and then jump his bones. Men, go out and get that dress or those beautiful earings your wife was looking at. Pay attention to her likes and her feelings. Take her in your arms and make wild love to her after shes in awe that you took the time to care or are even interested in the way she looks for you. Go out with one another, even if your tired and the kids drove you crazy all day long and you have to pay your electic bill next week. Have fun !!!! Get alittle tipsy and go home and make love to one another and remember why you both fell in love in the first place. Or just say the words I LOVE YOU, for no reason at all, just to say it so they know. Dont nag each other, if there is a problem, sit down with one another, hold hands from across your kitchen table and find a solution together, whether its an insecurity or a financial difficulty. Problems are always solvable if you both work on them together and stick to your plans of fixing your problems. Even if you think your partners problem is "stupid", its something that THEY are feeling and should be acknowledged. Unconditional, unselfish love. It is obtainable and ofcourse there will always be something that annoys you about someone, but you came together for good reasons, keep the good alive and

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  • 24. Posted by A Yahoo! Health User on Tue, May 29, 2007, 6:34 am PDT

    I can really relate to the topic. But there are those of us who know that having feelings for another is different than acting on them. I was very close friends with a co-worker and in truth did desire to have a different type of relationship but the pain that it would have caused was enough to keep me from acting on it. I agree that love comes in different forms and sometimes it starts as one thing then morphs into something else. The responsible person lives by "first do no harm". No harm, no regret, no amends ever need to be made. Cece

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  • 25. Posted by A Yahoo! Health User on Tue, May 29, 2007, 9:33 am PDT

    Trust is the key issue here. Trust takes time to build and so does love. It's also about the choice you make too whether to act on a possible romantic relationship. To feel attracted to someone is one thing, but to act upon it is quite the other. I have quite a few male friends that I see on a regular basis and others I keep in touch with. Some are dating or committed, one is married, the rest possibly single. My point is that I make sure I set boundaries to keep things friendly, platonic, and keep my distance. Also, to show their female counterparts that I'm no threat to their relationship, I want my guy friends to be happy. Should things go romantically with my single male friends, then I hope for the best. As for the work environment, particularly the restaurant industry, that's probably the, to me, the number one place to find a romantic encounter of some sort. I know so, I work in one and had romantic relations develop from working in restaurants. Then again it's also setting boundaries for yourself and others to keep things professional. There are threats out there, it's a matter of how you deal with it and how you perceive the threat to be. Communicating is key.

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  • 26. Posted by A Yahoo! Health User on Tue, May 29, 2007, 11:35 am PDT

    I know firsthand all about co-workers and interoffice dalliances. Unfortunately, the rules about this sort of thing is pretty relaxed in this part of the state. From the top down, it's played out. Because of the size of the rural community, the population is bound to run into one another after hours as well, during parties, at bars, whatever, the consequences to long standing marriages, families, stepfamilies, even domestic violence that starts with them doesn't seem to slow anyone down. I say I've been in one first hand, my sons father and a coworker of his, they spend 40-70 hours per week together, seems to me since I thought we wre okay at home, it was okay at work too, now I know better.

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  • 27. Posted by A Yahoo! Health User on Tue, May 29, 2007, 11:41 am PDT

    Julie, I've been there too and yes, something is UP when all that starts happening, you know what they say? A man can smell another player miles away, same goes for a woman sensing another. You're better off without him anyway.

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  • 28. Posted by A Yahoo! Health User on Tue, May 29, 2007, 11:42 am PDT

    Evangeline, you're better off and what I really want to know is: How did you restrain yourself from slapping them both?

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  • 29. Posted by A Yahoo! Health User on Tue, May 29, 2007, 12:33 pm PDT

    I appreciate hearing Shane's comments, being in love with the other person and taking the time to appreciate them for who they are does matter.

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  • 30. Posted by A Yahoo! Health User on Tue, May 29, 2007, 2:15 pm PDT

    I really appreciate the comments from the people who actually understand that there is a difference between feeling an attraction and acting on it. Your partner, no matter who they are is going to feel attraction to at least someone else. this isn't cheating, it's being human. Getting insecure about that is the reason all the articles like this and about "emotional infedelity" just make me cringe. Your spouse or girl/boyfriend shouldn't be the only soical relationship you have. No one person can meet all of your needs 100% of the time-this is why humans are social creatures. The last thing we need are articles telling anyone to be more insecure of their partners friends.

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