Category: Advice Goddess

Grand Theft Autocrat I’m a 29-year-old straight woman and I recently started dating this guy I really like. The only issue is he seems a bit controlling. For example, he always wants to pick the restaurant and which TV show we watch. While I’m generally pretty go with the flow, it seems like I never choose what we’re doing. It’s one thing to pick the restaurant, but I worry that he might be like this with bigger things (like if we got a place together or got married). Should I be worried? —Unsure It’s important to have a boyfriend...

At Debt’s Door Quarantine’s been weighing on me, and I’ve been making a lot of unnecessary purchases. I know I need to stop wasting money, but I just keep ordering thing after thing. How can I get that satisfaction from buying something without actually buying it? — Going Broke We humans are ever-failing self-disciplinarians, two-legged weasels talking ourselves into things we know we shouldn’t do. For example, there’s that saying, “Everything happens for a reason.” No, the fact that those $800 shoes are now $465 does not count as a reason. Unfortunately, the more you behave badly, the more...

Heavy Mental I’m a woman who recently stopped talking with a guy I’d been seeing because, frankly, I didn’t find him intelligent enough. He is a good guy, but just a little dim for me. When I told my friends this was the reason I ended things, they said it was a bit snobbish. Does this make me an intellectual snob? I get that he has other good qualities, but I just don’t feel like they’re enough. — Nerd Seeking Nerd Love sometimes requires one to make sacrifices, but these shouldn’t include avoiding any words with more than two...

Coddle Herder My boyfriend’s enabling of his failure-to-launch 26-year-old son is seeming like a deal breaker. Though his son’s very likable, he’s been fired from every job he’s had, including a well-paying delivery job I recently got him, after they perceived liability from his reckless, race-driving ways. His dad lent him a truck, pays the insurance, pays his cellphone bill, and keeps rescuing him on his rent. He spends his days video gaming, getting stoned, and online dating. I was looking forward to getting married, but I don’t want my house at risk when his son calls for a...

What An Earl Wants This new guy I’ve been dating said he wants to keep things casual. I’m bummed because I’ve caught some pretty intense feelings for him. Is it possible he just needs to get to know me better and once he does, he’ll feel differently? — Wishful Pursuing a relationship with this guy is like sentencing yourself to live out the rest of your days stuck in that “distracted boyfriend” meme. Understanding your situation starts with a peek into book publishing. Unbeknownst to most people, the most profitable area in publishing is the romance and erotica genre....