Send Us Your Relationship Questions for the Sake of “tough Love”
After too long hiatus, Lifehacker’s “Tough Love” relationship column returns. The new column will be written by me, and I am very happy to forge deep relationships with the readers of the site, helping them to cope with their romantic, personal and existential problems.
In keeping with the Tough Love tradition started by my predecessor Patrick Allan, I will share the wisdom you might otherwise get from the conscious dude you meet at the bar. I’m not a psychologist or a certified relationship professional, but I have a tweed jacket with elbow pads. I don’t have a PhD, but I’m not afraid to talk about feelings with strangers on the Internet, which I think matters. If you are worried about my lack of academic achievement, go camping: in 2011, I received my bachelor’s degree in history from the University of California, Santa Cruz, which began assigning letter grades only in 2000. The ivory tower can give a damn. This.
If you are not familiar with this column and how it works, let’s revisit some past case studies. Are you in a serious relationship when only one person wants children? Write me. Do you talk too much and don’t know how to shut your mouth sometimes? Write me. Do you have a condescending colleague that you desperately need to shut down? Write me. Has your 20-year-old wife suddenly made the decision to become a porn star ? Email me and I will do my best to help you deal with the complex issues that pervade life in these strange times, from your office to your bedroom and all other places.
Let’s discuss communication methods. As I said several times above, you can always email me with a CONSULTATION in the subject, or tweet me with the hashtag #toughlove. As much as I would love to respond to every request, I expect to get a little overwhelmed from time to time, and I probably won’t be able to go back to every request. And please, for heaven’s sake, don’t contact me if you don’t want to be the subject of an advice column. You never have to use your real name, but you can sign the letter with a pseudonym.
I’m here to help. Sometimes love will be tough, but this is not your mother’s advice column. If necessary, I will do my best to cite studies that I think will be helpful in your quest for peace of mind and solution. In other cases, I’ll just say it as it is. And to be honest, I’m really looking forward to getting started.