Someone once said that taking relationship advice from a single person is like taking parenting advice from someone without any children. But let’s be honest, there is something to be said for the outsider looking in and sometimes the best advice can come from the most unlikely source. So, what are some tips and tricks for getting the best advice from the wealth of romance knowledge that can be found at the hands of your single friends?
Look at the odds
If your considering going to talk to the friend who is six months into her first serious relationship vs the friend who is six months out of a nine year relationship, you are likely better off to go with the friend who had the successful long term bond. Odds are in your favor that she likely knows more about how to make things work for the long haul, even if things didn’t work out in the end.
Know their strong suits
Listen, if your girl and her last guy broke up because he cheated on her, you might not want to go to her with your trust issues, unless, of course, you’d like to see them blown hugely out of proportion and your guy turned into the world’s worst scum. Know the areas where your friends have experience and will be able to lend positive and constructive criticism and dig in!
Avoid bitter Barbie’s
Ah, the lethal combination of loneliness and jealousy. These girls want nothing but to passively aggressively tear down everything you know and love about your relationship until there is absolutely nothing left but a broken heart and an empty tub of Ben & Jerry’s. If your man can do nothing right in a friend’s eyes (no matter how amazing he is in reality), then you are better to avoid seeking advice from this friend at all.
Know who will listen
When it all comes down to it, you probably know who of your friends are the best listeners and who aren’t. It doesn’t matter if they are single, dating, or 10-years married, some people are just better at the listening and advice giving then others. Don’t judge your friends ability to dish out great advice just because they’ve recently become newly single.
Balance it out
You should, by no means, be getting ALL your relationship from your unattached friends. Try and balance out your issues between single friends and committed friends to make sure that there isn’t a problem going on here that your single friends (or your taken ones) might be overlooking.
