Everybody Plays the Fool

Nobody likes to be played for a fool, least of all me. But I know we have all found ourselves in compromising situations in which we most certainly know we have been had. It is not fun; it can downright hurt. How do we avoid such situations without being overly cautious? How can we live in the moment but be true to ourselves? It appears to be a balancing act. If you take any two people and they randomly interact, it is very hard to predict what will happen. Every encounter would be finitely different from the next. However, some humans use their brains and some can make educated guesses based on certain behavioral patterns. An example would be if one meets someone they find attractive at the bar and both are under the influence of alcohol, they might be inclined to go home with each other. That is all well and good, and sometimes really is fun and in the moment, but the next steps tend to vary. Do the two people continue to see each other? Does it develop into something more serious? Does it revolve around sex? Do the two people stop all communication? Or do they wind up in a furious game of texting?

It all depends on what you want. You get played a fool if you want something the other person does not want, or vice versa, and you do not articulate it to them. I have mentioned the importance of communication in other posts. Open, respectful communication can save you lots of grief. Even if it contributes to some unpleasant situations - like people becoming upset with you or never speaking to you again because they cannot take rejection - in the end you have to think about what you really want and what you are willing to compromise. If you are willing to get played in the attempts of getting what you want, I would advise against it. Know the signs, do your research, be smart and above all respect yourself.