# Rules for a Happy Significant Relationship **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 14, 2002, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-for-a-happy-significant-relationship/103625 "2002-04-14T22:02:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sue\_Duhnym](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@Sue\_Duhnym](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sue_Duhnym)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2002, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-for-a-happy-significant-relationship/103625/21 "2002-09-23T04:23:01Z")
Don’t mind me, I’m just bumping this because it’s such good advice. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2002, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-for-a-happy-significant-relationship/103625/22 "2002-09-23T05:17:22Z")
Brilliant. I don’t know how I missed this thread the first time, but thank you, **Manda JO**. I’ve been single for a few years now, but this reminds me acutely of a lot of the stuff that went on in my previous (six-year!) relationship. Everyone starting a new relationship, or bitching (even privately) about an old one gone stale: Read the OP, _with your SO_. ---
**Author:** ![White\_Lightning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@White\_Lightning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/White_Lightning)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2002, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-for-a-happy-significant-relationship/103625/23 "2002-09-23T09:56:01Z")
Great bump, this thread is definitely a Hall of Famer, and worth a permanent bookmark for periodical reviewing. **jackelope** , that is a _wonderful_ idea. I think I’ll copy it to my girlfriend right now. ---
**Author:** ![Sebhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@Sebhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sebhal)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2002, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-for-a-happy-significant-relationship/103625/24 "2002-09-23T13:27:34Z")
Number 9, especially, is great. The number of times my wife and I have wandered round city centres looking for a restaurant we could agree to go into (made more difficult because she’s a vegetarian). "I don’t believe that you can really bear to eat vegetable lasagne _again_. Let’s find somewhere else…’ as we start gnawing our coat-sleeves. Nice one **Manda JO**. ---
**Author:** ![robertliguori](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/46a35a/32.png) [@robertliguori](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robertliguori)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2002, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-for-a-happy-significant-relationship/103625/25 "2002-09-24T12:28:07Z")
Groovy. Give us more, Manda JO! ---
**Author:** ![Lissla\_Lissar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lissla\_Lissar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissla_Lissar)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2002, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-for-a-happy-significant-relationship/103625/26 "2002-09-24T12:42:45Z")
Yeah. I should print this up and give it to my premarital counseling person. It covers most of what we’ve talked about and more. Um, addendum (although I don’t think I’m really worthy to post advice to this thread): Don’t try to change your partner into someone you like better. If you’re with someone whom you think is, say, 8o% wonderful, don’t waste your time trying to change the other 20%. Either enjoy the part you’ve got, or get out. Picking away at them is a good way to sour things, and rarely works. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2002, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-for-a-happy-significant-relationship/103625/27 "2002-09-24T18:30:58Z")
Speaking of saving threads… I just discovered that Adobe Acrobat did a surprisingly-good job of PDFing this one. Saved and kept. 🙂 [sub]Nobody told _me_ about a clique… [/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2002, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-for-a-happy-significant-relationship/103625/28 "2002-09-24T19:05:15Z")
I am really glad this resurfaced. This is one of those priceless threads that never gets the credit or attention it deserves. I, too, have printed this out, incase of another attack by the Dreaded Hamsters of the SDMB. ---
**Author:** ![Tuco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tuco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuco)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2002, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-for-a-happy-significant-relationship/103625/29 "2002-09-24T19:14:03Z")
Now why don’t things like this get sent to everyone’s e-mail addess? There is no justice. ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2002, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-for-a-happy-significant-relationship/103625/30 "2002-09-24T22:17:51Z")
I have to say that I am rather glad it resurfaced as well: thanks, **Sue**. I really think that this is one of the best things I evre wrote, and it tickles me pink to think of people printing it out and showing it to people. ---
**Author:** ![Eutychus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2002, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-for-a-happy-significant-relationship/103625/31 "2002-09-24T22:39:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Shirley Ujest \* > \*\*I, too, have printed this out, incase of another attack by the Dreaded Hamsters of the SDMB. \*\* In case of another attack of the hamsters, with Manda Jo’s permission, I’d like to reprint this in Teemings Extras. Okay with you? ---
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2002, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-for-a-happy-significant-relationship/103625/32 "2002-09-24T22:50:19Z")
Beautiful. This is going to be printed out by me and saved for further reference from time to time. ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2002, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-for-a-happy-significant-relationship/103625/33 "2002-09-24T23:07:45Z")
That would be lovely, **Eutychus**. Thanks for thinking of it. [sub]Wow! Teemings Extras! I’m somebody![/sub] ---
**Author:** ![White\_Lightning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@White\_Lightning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/White_Lightning)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2003, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-for-a-happy-significant-relationship/103625/34 "2003-04-15T01:59:13Z")
Jeez, has it been half a year already? Time sure flies. I’ve been having some trouble lately, and walking to work this morning I was thinking about this thread. High time we gave anybody unfortunate enough to have missed it the first couple of times the chance to see it again. Bump (with your blessing, I hope, **Manda JO** ). ---
**Author:** ![Watcher\_of\_the\_Skies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/45deac/32.png) [@Watcher\_of\_the\_Skies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Watcher_of_the_Skies)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2003, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-for-a-happy-significant-relationship/103625/35 "2003-04-15T02:51:42Z")
Thanks **White Lightning** for the bump. I wasn’t a member yet when this thread last posted. There’s some great stuff here. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had that exact restaurant selection conversation (all the time). It really should be simpler to pick a place while caring about the other person’s preference, but it’s hard to escape that rut. Thanks again for sharing this thread with those of us who haven’t seen it before. ---
**Author:** ![Cyberhwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7993a0/32.png) [@Cyberhwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyberhwk)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2003, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-for-a-happy-significant-relationship/103625/36 "2003-04-15T04:05:13Z")
\<--------------Opens Wordpad, Saves As ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2006, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-for-a-happy-significant-relationship/103625/37 "2006-07-04T04:41:57Z")
Wow. And bump. ---
**Author:** ![SkipMagic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skipmagic/32/20706_2.png) [@SkipMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkipMagic)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2006, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-for-a-happy-significant-relationship/103625/38 "2006-07-04T04:45:03Z")
… and closed. Please don’t bump old threads like these, **sandra\_nz**. You’re welcome to start a new thread that links to an old one, but generally, when a thread is 3 months old or so, we’d rather it not be bumped to the front page again. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-for-a-happy-significant-relationship/103625.md?page=1)