To Tell or Not To Tell: Dealing with a Friend's Relationship

[tribdog]

not necessarily, I would want to know, and I know you would so if it were you Id have no problem telling you, Trib however clearly would like everyone to butt out and let him make his own mistakes. If I knew him personally Id probably know to leave him alone. I have friends who would agree with him. I just don't know what this girl will be like when she finds out. If Fred had only spoken that way one or two times I wouldn't be offended, but he's always saying things like, "Wheres b***h when I need her, I am effing horny" and then he stalks off. He may just be bragging but I have a hard time believing he cares about her and can call her things like that when she's not around

That's how boys talk in the locker room. That's how they talk in rap music. Tell him to quit being two-faced and to grow up. He's new to this and needs to be set straight.

 

[fileen]

In all the time I've known him he's never been so cold and inconsiderate. He is usually a really great person, but I know things change when you live with someone and you see sides of them you otherwise would not. It surprises me that he can say these things to me knowing what my reaction is likely to be.

 

[Moonbear]

I don't think she's even aware of his addiction. Girls can be so dumb when they get in the midst of men.

Now, if she's not aware of his addiction problem, that might be more fair game to sit down and explain to her. If you tell her and she says she already knows, then she's had fair warning. She has to make her own decisions about who she dates.

Wow, am I the only one that would want to be told? If I found out someone knew this and didn't tell me, I'd be furious.

I guess I just don't get how people think.

Everyone says that, until someone tries telling them the guy they're with is no good for them, and then they get mad at the person telling them for not trusting their guy. You really can't protect people from their own bad decisions. The best you can usually do is be there to comfort them when they finally figure it out for themselves.

 

[Moonbear]

In all the time I've known him he's never been so cold and inconsiderate. He is usually a really great person, but I know things change when you live with someone and you see sides of them you otherwise would not. It surprises me that he can say these things to me knowing what my reaction is likely to be.

If you think this is out of character for Fred, maybe the person you need to talk to about this is Fred, not his girlfriend. Let him know you're aware how smitten she is with him, and that she doesn't see it as just a casual sex type thing like he's describing it to you. Tell him you think she's going to be very hurt if he isn't serious about this. As I and others have mentioned, he could just be talking tough, but really cares about her (immature guys don't like to admit when they are falling for a woman for real, so will cover up with a lot of bluff and bluster). Or, he might just think it's nothing serious and doesn't realize she thinks it is.

 

[Cyrus]

Forget about fred, talk to Joe, the plumber.

 

[Evo]

Everyone says that, until someone tries telling them the guy they're with is no good for them, and then they get mad at the person telling them for not trusting their guy.

I guess I am weird then. I've had friends tell me not to trust someone and I was very grateful and dumped the guy. On the flip side, I also had someone cheat on me, and people knew but were afraid to say anything. When I discovered the guy was cheating, I dumped him, then everyone came forward and admited they should have said something. I was pissed. How can you call me a friend and sit idly by while someone is doing something that you know will hurt me? Not my definition of a friend.

I do agree that fileen needs to confront Fred. She also needs to decide where her loyalty lies, realizing that if she does tell this poor girl what Fred is doing that she risks her fiendship with Fred.

Also, I don't think we're talking about 18 year olds here. I think fileen mentioned she's been with her boyfriend a total of 8 years?

 

[DaveC426913]

Its funny. I'm actually getting upset. I hadn't realized I felt so strongly about freedom. I suppose we could take this girl and put her into a plastic bubble and tell her what to read and what to eat and who to date. ..

Why do you assume that when one learns a lesson, one does it in a vacuum? i.e. without the support of friends? Perhaps having friends she can count on for advice is the lesson she needs.

 

[Moonbear]

On the flip side, I also had someone cheat on me, and people knew but were afraid to say anything. When I discovered the guy was cheating, I dumped him, then everyone came forward and admited they should have said something. I was pissed. How can you call me a friend and sit idly by while someone is doing something that you know will hurt me? Not my definition of a friend.

I put cheating in a different category. In a way, there's physical evidence there. If you know your friend's boyfriend or girlfriend is cheating on her or him, I do think that's something to tell them. But, when it's just that a guy is bragging about being horny, that's really not reason to meddle. There's nothing to say things couldn't develop into a better relationship. How many times do relationships start out as casual sex and become more? Feelings are just too tricky to meddle with other people's relationships. What works for one person might not for another, and vice versa.

 

[Evo]

Yes, but fileen said that this is different, there is more to it, so I am going by what she has described the situation as.

 

[Moonbear]

Yes, but fileen said that this is different, there is more to it, so I am going by what she has described the situation as.

That's always the problem with giving advice. We only have her side of it, which is only based on whatever those involved in the relationship are willing to share.

Now, if the girl starts up a conversation with fileen that she's really attracted to George (or someone else) but doesn't want to hurt Fred breaking up with him, that would be a good time to encourage her to move on. If she doesn't have anything else, and she's happy and it's not abusive, why not let her enjoy what she has for the time it will last. If she thinks the relationship might be abusive, then intervene, but it doesn't sound like that, it just sounds like your average, run of the mill, he wants sex, she wants a relationship, and they're too immature to have talked about what they want before getting involved. They'll learn and move on eventually.