The 9 Love Lessons You Need to Know Now—Brought to you by the greatest love stories ever told - Part 3
Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey—Keep it to Yourself
What could go wrong when two virginal, blonde pop stars tie the knot and film their first years of marriage for an MTV reality show?! (Rhetorical question.) Sharing your happiness and publicizing your relationships to family and friends is one thing; but turning into that couple who over-shares, overexposes, and overwhelms everyone with everything short of a neon sign reading "WE'RE SO HAPPY AND TOGETHER…LOOK AT US!" is quite another. You set yourself up for failure when you try to fit an image of what you think a happy relationship should look like, and you really annoy your friends when you proceed to act out that fantasy. I want to hear about your great sex life, not see it. Sorry, Nick and Jess.
Danny Zucko and Sandy—Summer Loving Can Actually Last
Just because something starts as a fling, a hookup, a summer romance, it doesn't (necessarily) mean it's doomed to fail. When we stop imposing labels on our love life—"serious" versus "casual," "boyfriend material" versus "hot hook-up"—we set ourselves up to have it all. And by "all" I mean John Travolta in leather pants circa 1978. Ah wella wella wella uhh.
All college guys have some version of a Mrs. Rochester in their metaphorical attics—crazy exes, a promiscuous reputation, mommy issues. The key is to avoid the really scary baggage, the kind that threatens to burn the whole house down. Think twice if his long-term ex lives on your hall; if there's a verifiable rumor that he has a problem with drinking or drugs; if you keep catching him in little lies; if you really hate all of his friends. You get the idea. Ultimately, you can still make it work (Jane Eyre ended up with Mr. Rochester by the end of the novel), but there might be some damage done along the way.
