Amy Alkon

Platonic Bomb A guy I know grates on me because he only has female friends. He apparently tried to get involved with each of them at some point but got rejected. Why doesn’t he find male friends instead of preying on women (under the guise of friendship) who probably trust him not to hit on […]

Leave Actually I broke up with a guy I dated very briefly and said it’d be best for me if we didn’t maintain contact. He respected this for a while, but he’s suddenly all over my social media, not just “liking” but often “loving” my posts. I hate being led to think about him. Is […]

Hate-Loss Diet Last year, I broke up with the man I was engaged to and loved deeply. I’d found out he was cheating on me constantly with many different women throughout our relationship. My life has gone on, but I often think of what he did to me and feel incredible anger. I’d like to […]

No Manchild Left Behind I’m a woman in my early 20s. I’m considered pretty, and I’m in good shape. I started dating significantly older men (in their 40s and early 50s). I love that they’re adults and I don’t become a girlfriend-slash-nanny, motivational coach, and resume editor like when I’m dating guys my age. But […]

Fraud Prince I broke up with a guy I was dating after discovering he’d lied about his age on the dating app we’d met on. (He’s 48, not “39.”) I’d told him honesty’s a big deal for me. He claimed he’s honest with those he cares about and at work and argued that everybody lies […]

Jerk du Soleil I’m a guy in my senior year of college. I cannot figure out how my roommate gets all the women he does. He’s a huge jerk to everyone, including women — the typical “bad boy.” He breaks any rule or law he can, doesn’t care who he hurts, and makes very little […]

Loot Actually I’m envious of a friend whose boyfriend frequently does nice things for her: bringing her soup when she’s sick and surprising her with a weekend getaway and a pricey handbag she’d been coveting. My boyfriend is a nice, reliable, loving guy. I’d considered myself lucky to have him, but now I’m worried my […]

Dear In Headlights I’m a girl in my 20s. I recently started dating a guy I’m falling in love with. He invited me to a party to meet his friends, and I’m nervous. He’s “objectively” more attractive than I am (6-foot-2, brawny, and incredibly handsome) and very successful. I’m attractive, but I see the looks […]

Life In The Fastened Lane I’ve been with my boyfriend for a year, and I love him, but I also love my independence. I need alone time, meaning space from him and everybody. He wants to spend every minute together and seems to need constant closeness to feel okay. Is this a bad sign — […]

Needle In A Bae Stack I am a 31-year-old woman, and I can’t figure out why I’m having such a hard time finding a man. I am attractive (in good shape and considered pretty); have a master’s degree; am successful in a competitive business; and I love to read and talk about news, history, and […]