Blog
6 Things We Put Up With For Love
N.B This was originally published in November 2014.
From what I’ve experienced so far, relationships seem to be about putting up with someone else’s horrible preferences and habits, mentally tallying up everything you hate about them, and then having sex to alleviate some of the festering hatred.
Also, occasionally watching a movie.
We put up with some truly horrible things for the promise of a steady supply of intercourse or a fun puppy play date! I once stayed in a relationship six months longer than I should have because I liked playing with his dog (and that’s not a code); it’s truly all about priorities. Here are some of the things we put up with for our significant others.
1. Stories, stories, and more stories
If there is any takeaway from dating and relationships, it is the stories. People love telling you about their glory days and about that one time they drank so much that they woke up with someone else’s shorts on. Everyone thinks their story is the greatest one to ever be told, and we wait until we find our mate to completely bombard them with a hyperbolic play-by-play of the last twenty years of our lives.
2. Lousy music
I once endured seven weeks of nerve-wracking rap music in exchange for the company of a dark-haired gentleman who shall remain nameless. His name was Ralph. Oops.
Every time we drove down the streets of Beirut, Eminem accompanied us. While we ate, Snoop Dogg was there. And as we made love, Biggie cheered us on.
3. Their political inclinations
You are much more likely to be tolerant of ideas and political opinions when there is an attractive person attached to them. Whatever your partner’s political leanings are, they will try to weasel them into everyday conversation and practices. For example, be weary when they ask you to attend a quick protest on your way to lunch.
4. Their favorite restaurant
Of course I don’t mind eating Deek Duke for the ninth time this week. Chicken genocide is my favorite cuisine.
5. Their dietary habits
You will be sharing many of your meals with this person, which means I need to find someone who is okay with having hot and spicy Chex Mix and vodka lemons as regular meal replacements.
6. Their fetishes
Yeah, those Japanese cartoons are totally sexy, right?