Chapter 2: I will decide the outcome of this love

018 Unrequited love is always the best

The title is a response to the question, “What should I do if I fall in love with my teacher?” In the small world of school, the only people close to you are your classmates, seniors, and juniors, but the person asking this question was probably attracted to someone who was much older than you and stood out from the crowd. The teacher is kind to everyone, but you may have felt that he is only kind to you because you were in trouble or approached him proactively.

Furthermore, if you force the relationship, you often fail to fully consider the impact on the other person’s social status and the reactions of those around you. If you are only obsessed with your own feelings, it is unlikely that you will have a happy ending. Even if you have strong feelings, there are some relationships that should not actually be fulfilled.

019 Rescue someone who is being misled

Have you ever played a medal game at an arcade? If you haven’t, please try playing until you get bored. Medal games have many effects that make you feel like you might win, and when you hit a big jackpot, the whole machine lights up, and just the sound of the medals being paid out fills you with excitement. Because it costs less money than pachinko, you can’t help but sit there for a long time.

However, it is important to remember that if you put in 1,000 yen worth of medals, you will definitely spend 1,000 yen worth of medals. Still, I feel like I can have a good time, so I will go back to medal games again.

I may be similar to the type of person who gets their hopes up when the other person behaves in a flirtatious way. The difference is whether you think, “It’s okay if I lose 1,000 yen because it was fun,” or lament, “It’s all gone to waste.” I’m sure the person who is being manipulated went out of their way to sit in front of the machine because they wanted to see the other person’s flirtatious performance. If you’re worried about it, you should have just left the machine in the first place…

Just like hitting the jackpot on one of the machines at the arcade, you can’t help but hope that one day you too might be the one for the big win. I often hear of people being tricked into betting 1,000 yen, but no one will accept complaints like “This machine never wins.” In other words, even if you put in a coin and see all the effects that look like you’ll win, but you don’t, and you cry out, “I was tricked into betting,” it’s ultimately dismissed as your own fault.

020 The mechanism behind a bad relationship

The reason why people continue to fall into bad relationships may be explained with a single sentence: “I realized it was bad halfway through but didn’t get out,” but that sounds too pathetic, so let me explain in more detail.

You should always be cautious when falling in love. For example, if you come into contact with a snake, it is safe to assume that it is poisonous. If you are interacting with it under someone’s supervision, it is natural to think, “It can’t be a poisonous snake,” because you trust that person. However, when you are facing an unknown creature one-on-one, you should always keep in mind, “What if this snake is poisonous?” For example, if a friend is bitten by an unknown snake in the grass during a picnic, everyone will immediately become worried.

From here on, I will talk about people who can’t escape from bad relationships. When it comes to their own problems, even if people around them warn them, “It looked like a poisonous snake. You should definitely go to the hospital,” they desperately try to justify themselves by saying, “They just misunderstood me based on my appearance and demeanor. I’m actually a nice person,” or “The other person’s birthday is coming up next month…” and in the end, they don’t take any measures and just continue in the situation. What’s more, they don’t even know what kind of snake is currently biting them…

If you feel that natural healing has reached its limits

However, even the human body has its limits. If treatment is not administered, the poison will not be removed. When the body finally starts to send out SOS signals, the normal course of action is to leave the snake and head to the hospital. However, people who cannot leave a bad relationship (i.e. continue to be bitten by snakes) make a surprising choice here as well. Usually, the characteristics of the snake that bit you are told to the doctor, and treatment is based on that information, but for some reason, some people ask another man to play the role of doctor. In other words, they start changing the snakebite consultation to a different snake. What on earth is the thinking behind this choice? It is clear that there is no sign of any resolution.

This is the same as a wounded rat appearing in front of a snake and slowly approaching it, asking, “Snake, excuse me, can I have a moment?” It’s as if it’s saying, “Please, swallow it.” Why would she think that another man would be okay, even though she just failed? The more I write, the more I can’t help but feel that “the fact that the poison won’t come out is my fault, so is it really worth the trouble of me explaining it?” She should realize sooner that even if she consults another man when she’s worried, it will only create a negative chain reaction.

If it’s that painful, why not try a different platform? If you have read and understood this article and still can’t take the first step towards your next love, then I’ve given up.

021 Escaping reality

No matter how much you try to persuade them to stop, people who are in love are unlikely to stop. No matter how much you try to stop them, sometimes it will be in vain. However, when something goes wrong, the experience of stopping even once will protect you later.

Also, people who ask “Should I quit…?” have a vague feeling that they should quit, but they don’t really want to back out. In relationships and romance, if you follow other people’s opinions and act accordingly, you end up making excuses like “I did it because you told me to,” which becomes a way of running away.

022 How to forget your ex

There is no real way to forget an ex-lover. Even if you say you’ve “forgotten” them, in the end you’re just lying to yourself. The fact that you really did love them at the time remains unshakable. If at some point you find yourself no longer thinking about your ex-lover, it may be because you suddenly lost contact with them. However, if you were to suddenly see them at the station, for example, can you really be sure that your feelings haven’t wavered at all? It will be when you no longer have any connection with them in the future that you will have truly forgotten them.

They say that “time heals everything.” It’s true that time can help ease loneliness and pain. But I’ve never seen a case where someone has successfully filled in their loneliness or solitude with someone else. It’s like trying to cover up a pimple you just popped with concealer. Eventually, the inflammation will spread and you’ll end up with an indelible scar. If you hadn’t touched it in the first place, it wouldn’t have gotten so bad…

To be honest, we are not that strong. That is why you don’t need to be so stubborn about forgetting your ex. Life brings about unexpected events one after another, and the more we want to forget an event, the more it sticks in our minds. There will always be events like that in one page of our lives.

023 An end to the debate: “Should I break up if my partner cheats on me?”

This topic has already been discussed in many places and we’ve heard it so many times that we’re sick of it, but let’s put an end to it here. When your partner cheats on you, it’s not necessarily necessary to break up with them right away. Of course, the choice to break up is a personal choice, but in order to make the most correct decision, it’s important to gather enough information necessary for the decision, calm your mind, and then make a careful decision.

In particular, we recommend that you check the following six items in order.

1) Reflect on your relationship so far: First reflect on how you have spent time with your partner from your own subjective perspective, and then look at it from an objective perspective.

② Organize your partner’s good points and the areas that have not improved: Make a list of your partner’s attractive points and the areas that you have pointed out but have not seen improvement.

3) Confirm the circumstances that led to the affair: Ask your partner directly what circumstances led to the affair.

4) Understand your partner’s true feelings toward the cheating person: Find out how your partner’s feelings toward the person are now, and whether there have been any changes compared to when the cheating first began.

⑤: Your own thoughts about cheating Think honestly and deeply about whether you have never been attracted to someone else before or whether you can say with certainty that you will never cheat in the future.

⑥ Confirm your partner’s future intentions: Ask your partner how they would like to proceed with the relationship in the future.

Additionally, if you want to know how your partner feels about cheating in general, feel free to ask, but be careful, as you’ll likely only get a standard response like, “I truly regret it and I’m sorry.”

(Regarding ① and ②)

The main purpose of these items is to check the extent to which you are able to separate your subjective and objective views in the current situation. First, look back on your relationship from a subjective perspective and be aware of how your emotions are fluctuating due to your partner’s infidelity. Then, look back from an objective perspective and determine whether you are currently in a state where you can make a calm decision. If your subjective and objective views are mixed together, you will lack the judgment to decide whether to continue your relationship with your partner in the future. In that case, the first priority is to regain your composure. If you proceed to items ③ and beyond without remaining calm, you may become overly emotional and be unable to come to a conclusion. Also, if you tear up at the second stage when remembering the good points of your partner, you should take that as a warning sign.

(Regarding ③ and ④)

In items ③ and ④, you will check the facts, as well as assess the other person’s humanity, and decide whether it is worth continuing the relationship. Specifically, check how excited, how fast, and how the conversation will develop when the other person makes such a big mistake, and how much they will say. Check their facial expressions and eye movements to see if you can rebuild trust at important times, and how they will respond if you are at fault. This will give you a rough idea of ​​whether the other person is someone who can be corrected, or whether they are in a hopeless situation. The answers to ③ and ④ will be very important in deciding whether to continue to be by your side in the future, and everything will depend on whether you can make the right decision. Again, it is essential to first carry out ① and ② thoroughly and calmly before moving on to ③ and ④.

(Regarding ⑤)

If you have made it this far, then proceed to steps ⑤ and ⑥ in succession. In step ⑤, be truly honest. Can you say with certainty that you have never once had feelings for anyone else while dating your partner? Also, can you say with certainty that you would never cheat on your partner, even if you were approached by someone you secretly had feelings for in the past or someone who is your type? Instead of relying on the experience of being cheated on this time and relying on the excuse that “the other person did it too…”, you need to calmly and honestly evaluate yourself. In any case, honestly reconsider whether you have a pure heart that can harshly condemn others. If you lie here, the persuasiveness of your future judgments will be greatly reduced, and in the worst case scenario, you may even lose the position to legitimately mention your partner’s cheating, so you need to think carefully.

(Regarding ⑥)

Then, once you have gathered all the necessary information, (⑥) you should finally ask your partner what they want to do in the future. In other words, based on the information from ① to ⑤, you will make a final decision, and if you choose to continue the relationship, you will decide of your own volition to “extend the contract” with the person who once caused the problem. No matter what happens in the future, even if they cheat on you again, all the responsibility for that decision will fall on you. You should conduct a stricter review than a credit card review. For that reason, you should correctly understand the purpose of ① to ⑤, carry it out carefully, gather enough information to make a decision taking into account all the risks, and make a decision only after you are in a mental state where you can completely separate your subjective and objective views. And if you truly believe that you can continue to be with this person, and you can accept that all the responsibility will fall on you, then you can continue the relationship. If not, it is best to break up with them gracefully.

In this way, the final decision regarding infidelity should not be made on impulse, but should be made after gathering sufficient information, calmly evaluating yourself, and understanding the other person’s character. Please use this as a reference to help you make the right decision for yourself.

024 “I want to distance myself for a while” is a useful phrase

First of all, what is solved by putting distance between you? Putting this question aside, if your partner says, “I want to put some distance between us for a while,” how do you interpret this?

A. You haven’t broken up, so just keep your distance and wait. B. He probably wants to let it die away. You should move on to a new relationship.

If a couple has different ideas, how will the relationship end? If you are serious about your future together, the healthiest way to go about it is to talk things out and work towards a solution. There is no need for a cooling off period. In fact, choosing not to talk is just a preparation for moving on from your partner.

However, there are big benefits to saying “I want to distance myself for a while.” If the other person is willing to wait patiently, you’re really lucky, and if they hang out with another girl and it doesn’t work out, they can conveniently come back and resume the relationship at their own convenience. It’s as convenient as re-subscribing to a subscription that you once canceled.

Furthermore, even if the other person isn’t waiting, you can avoid being the bad guy. At the start of the next relationship, you can pretend to be weak and say, “If I keep my distance, he’ll find someone else…” This is a very useful phrase after all.

However, please be aware that the chances of someone who says they want to distance themselves from you coming back are as slim as the chances of a stolen umbrella being returned.

025 There’s nothing more convenient than “Let’s go back to being friends”

The phrase “Let’s go back to being friends” was invented to express the fact that you want to stop being lovers in a way that doesn’t make you the bad guy. In the first place, there is no route from a romantic relationship back to being friends. In reality, what remains is either an awkward relationship or a sad but fruitless one.

Even if you accept it sincerely and break up, what awaits you is nothing but a convenient relationship, or a “let’s get back together as friends” scam where they use clever words to lead the other person to believe something that doesn’t actually exist exists, and try to break up the romantic relationship. It seems that these methods are widespread, so I sincerely hope that the number of victims doesn’t increase any more.

027 The trump card is an aquarium date

Suggesting an aquarium date will make it easier to create an excuse to meet again. We recommend a movie theater for your first date. Even if you want to spend as much time as possible with the person you like, it’s a good idea to limit the time on your first date and discuss where to go after while talking about your impressions of the movie. We recommend movies that start at 3pm. If it’s difficult to go to the aquarium right after the movie ends, it’s the perfect excuse to casually invite them out by saying, “Let’s go to the aquarium next time.” As you know, you won’t be able to make it to the aquarium after a movie that starts in the evening, so you should keep your distance to build up anticipation for the next time.

Also, it is a well-known fact that aquariums are great dating spots. If your partner readily accepts your proposal to go on an aquarium date, there is a good chance that you are interested in them, or they may not be very persuasive. Take this opportunity to proactively invite them out.

Aquariums have plenty of photo spots, so you can take pictures together in a natural way. Taking a photo of the two of you with the aquarium in the background will also be a wonderful memory. In addition, there is a gift shop after you have toured the aquarium, so you can buy matching souvenirs, which is another reason why an aquarium date is the best.

In fact, you may feel that inviting someone to the aquarium on the second date is a little early. However, the third or fourth date is too reasonable, so if you suggest it early instead of later, the other person will feel a fresh stimulation that they have never experienced before and may be more likely to become fascinated. As a result, you may end up having a physical relationship before dating and falling even deeper in love. Have you ever found yourself yearning for a stimulation that was given to you too early?

028 Dating: Quality or Quantity?

There is no need to think of dating as a choice between “quality and quantity.” No matter how seriously you consider it, it’s a case-by-case basis, and there’s no particular reason to be so hung up on it. In fact, such patience and obsession may have a negative impact later on.

For example, if you think of dates in terms of quality and quantity, thinking, “This is the ideal date, but the reality is like this,” and your partner is busy and you don’t meet often, you’re likely to fall into the mindset of, “I really want to see you more, but they (or I) are busy, so I’ll just focus on quality.” However, there’s no telling whether the passion to “want to see you more” will continue in six months or a year. As time passes, your passion will calm down, and you will no longer care about quality or quantity, and you may even become indifferent, so to speak.

Furthermore, if you develop the habit of being patient, you will clearly feel a drop in your passion for the other person, and this realization can cause your feelings for the other person to cool even further. In love, the passion naturally cools down over time. There will inevitably be a moment when you feel that your feelings for the other person have cooled down.

【Coordination】

If possible, I think there is a way to avoid being too sensitive to changes in your feelings and to avoid feeling cold towards your partner. That way, both parties should base their relationship on “cooperation.” Not just in dating, but in relationships in general, finding a good compromise with your partner will overturn the traditional binary thinking of “quality or quantity.”

for example,

“It would be good if you could meet within your own limits and work together to improve the quality of the date.”

“Because I’m busy, we can’t meet as often as we used to, so I want to take the initiative and meet up like we used to. It’s not good to make the other person hold back, so I want to fulfill their requests as much as possible.”

This is the attitude. If you do this, even if you feel that you can’t meet often, you won’t have to suppress your opinions, and you can prevent the unfortunate phenomenon of becoming sensitive to changes in feelings and losing interest in the relationship.

[Because Amy said so]

Also, it is natural that you should change the way you handle things depending on the other person’s situation. If the other person’s happiness is directly connected to your happiness, I would like you to try it out starting today. Of course, depending on the person you are dating, you may suffer some pain, but that is also your own fault for choosing such a convenient situation and being in a relationship with them. Unless you are considerate of each other, you will eventually end up breaking up.

In the end, it’s important to be cooperative and flexible in responding to each other’s situations, rather than thinking about “quality or quantity” for the rest of your life. If someone criticizes you, you can take responsibility for my words. I am prepared to live a cooperative life no matter what the outcome.

029 Demerits∞

There are countless disadvantages to jumping over the hurdle of having a physical relationship before dating. You can see this by carefully thinking about the process of developing a relationship. For example,

“Exchange contact information ← Go on dates ← Go out ← Hold hands ← Kiss ← Stay overnight…”

That’s the general flow of events. However, if you jump over the hurdle and have a physical relationship all at once, is it possible to go back to the original stage after that? If something that can only be obtained over time is obtained in the first stage, it becomes a relationship that cannot be sustained by sincerity and affection alone.

Frankly speaking, romance is also fun when you try to conquer the other person. For example, you might think, “How does this person like to be praised?” or “Is this how it will work?” Some people also think, “How can we have a physical relationship without dating?” This feeling is similar to thinking, “I’ll be lucky if I can win it for 100 yen” in a crane game. If it was being sold for 5,000 yen from the start, you would hesitate, but if there is a possibility of winning it for 100 yen, you will want to try. And when you win it for 100 yen, you will want to brag to your friends.

We become interested in things and people alike. For example, if you see a cat playing with a cat toy, you won’t tell the other person that you’re just playing with them. If you don’t want them to think that way, you should avoid getting into a physical relationship before you start dating.

In the end, I think that your sincerity should only be directed to people who are sincere with you. Doing so is the most important foundation of love.

030 About “That Kind of Friend”

Can you think of a movie that you want to watch more than once? Do you always go back to see movies you’ve seen at the cinema multiple times?

You might think that “that kind of friend” is the same as a movie you’ve watched all the way through once. However, movies that touch your heart deeply are the ones you want to watch again and again. In fact, in the rare cases where a “that kind of friend” has developed into a relationship, it’s exactly that kind of movie. If it’s a moving movie, you can enjoy it over and over again without getting bored, even if you know the whole story.

By the way, it is often said that people who lack confidence tend to allow physical relations before dating, but can you really say with confidence, “This is a masterpiece that I want to watch over and over again?”

031 How to avoid a relationship of convenience

Even if things are starting to feel a little good, it might be time to hold off on holding hands before you start dating. How do you think the other person will feel if you hold hands when you’re not dating? It’s natural to take things to a more advanced stage.

Some people insist that it’s impossible to do this until you start dating, but if you just allow it, you risk being treated as if it were convenient for the other person. In order to get the outcome of your love that you truly desire, it’s important to clearly express your intentions, saying, “This is how I want to be. Don’t complain about the way I live.”

If you show the person that you are trying to make them feel like you are being a convenience, they will be more likely to want to try you out. If you do that, they will be more likely to fall in love with you and not end up in a convenience situation.

If you feel that you are being treated roughly by your partner, don’t hesitate to get angry. Whether or not you are swayed by sweet atmosphere and kind words and jump into momentary pleasure will greatly affect the way you interact with them afterwards.

Also, maybe you are attracted to the other person because of the difficult situation. However, ideally you should date someone who gives you dreams. Holding hands and spending time together should be romantic. Just like a scene from a Disney movie or a romantic movie, try living your days thinking, “I want to use this scene!” starting from today.

And you should walk away from people who won’t take responsibility for your life. I think it’s more important than anything to make your own decisions and live a life you can be proud of.

032 Tips for long distance relationships

Long distance relationships don’t work. The only trick is to get closer as soon as possible. If you don’t get closer quickly, the uncertainty will grow and you’ll struggle with the anxiety and loneliness of not knowing what the other person is doing.

If you are going to suffer from such worries, it would be better not to have excessive expectations of others in the first place. If you continue to worry despite that, it may be that you are “worrying because you want to.” In a sense, it may be good to see yourself as happy because you can worry.

033 There’s no point in getting back together

In most cases, getting back together doesn’t work out. There are some who say that the chances of getting back together increase even if the time it takes to get back together is short, but in reality, there are many cases where people broke up because they were fed up with the other person the last time. If they clash again for the same reason, it’s only natural that the option of breaking up again will come up.

Also, remember that trying to get back together is a way of devaluing yourself. Repeated attempts to get back together can make your partner an “appendage,” someone you treat less like a lover and more like a piece of jewelry that can be easily removed. This can eventually lead to a major downfall.

Even if you do get back together and feel like you’ve been re-evaluated, it’s likely that the other person is only acting out of fear of losing you. If you’re thinking about getting back together with your partner, you should first think carefully about whether they’re really important enough to be worthy of your precious time.

034 My lover’s smartphone

I think it’s best not to let your partner see your smartphone. Once you allow them to see your smartphone, the hurdle for other requests will gradually be lowered. For example, it becomes easier to reason, “Why, when you used to let me see it?” If it becomes normal for them to see your smartphone, requests such as sharing your location will escalate, leading to harsh treatment such as being monitored. If that happens, the person who is supposed to be your partner will no longer be someone you want to be with.

Also, there are people who want to look at their smartphones, but preface it by saying, “I absolutely don’t care,” but at that point it’s already proof that they’re worried about something. People who really don’t care would never want to look at their smartphones.

Another reason is that there is a very high possibility that your smartphone contains something shady. No matter how pure and innocent you are, there are always one or two traces that would make someone think, “Huh?” if they saw it. For example, you might have contact information or photos of an ex-lover that you forgot to delete. No matter how pure you are, it’s inevitable that there will be information you want to hide from your partner.

Even if you explain that you’re not cheating, whether your partner will accept it or not is another matter. Your partner may suspect that you didn’t want them to see, but are making excuses because you were questioned. Even if it’s true to you, if there’s a possibility that they might think it’s a lie, I think it would be better for both of you if you didn’t show them your smartphone.

After all, once you know everything about someone, the allure wears off. There’s absolutely no need to show them everything, and I strongly recommend that you don’t see any benefit in showing them your phone.

035 A child who is swept away cannot be happy

People who can’t break up with their current partner because of the good memories they have together will not be happy in the end. Even if they have a new relationship, it will be difficult to have a happy ending for the same reason. If you value what is in front of you too much, you will not be able to see the future.

Above all, if you are clinging to a partner because of the happy memories you had in the past, isn’t that relationship itself unhappy? Even if you try to force yourself to find happiness in the midst of unhappiness, when exactly do you intend to end the relationship? Stop clinging to past memories and look at reality. Living in the present and the future without being held back by the past is how humans should be. The first thing you need to consider is whether or not you are with a partner that makes you feel like “I want to be with you now.” Past happiness will never come back.

036 The importance of something that you only realize after you break up is shallow

If you start to think “maybe I still love him” right after a breakup, it’s best to accept it as a momentary lapse in your imagination. I assure you that there’s absolutely no point in trying to confront these feelings.

While those feelings may be genuine, they are merely a passing spurt of excitement caused by the breakup. Unlike the passion that develops while you’re dating, these are merely a momentary flare-up caused by friction between you. Even if you get back together, you can’t expect the friction to continue for a long time and improve your relationship. It would be much more constructive to accept it as a momentary hesitation and move on to the next relationship. If you go back to being together, you may miss out on a future where you could be happy with someone else.

037 Tips for a long-lasting relationship

When you think about how to make your relationship last, it’s hard to find the answer. So, imagine your family for a moment. When you’re with your family, are there any moments when you feel annoyed? If you feel the same discomfort with your partner as you do with your family, there is a high chance that the relationship will not last. For example, if you are interrupted in the middle of what you’re saying or not understood, it’s easy to get frustrated. Also, if you are restricted in all your actions when you go out, such as “Where are you going?”, “Who are you with?”, and “What time will you be back?”, even if you don’t like the confirmation itself, you will feel bothered by being bombarded with so many questions just by going out.

If you dislike something about your family, you obviously don’t want your partner to do the same. It may be hard to suppress the urge to know everything about your partner, but there’s a saying that goes, “Learn from others’ mistakes.” You may think that it’s your partner’s role to take on troublesome things, but in reality, the desire to be with someone who isn’t troublesome is common everywhere. If you tie your partner down more than necessary, they may end up wanting a relationship with someone who isn’t troublesome and start to turn away from you. Of course, you may be able to endure it for a while just because you love them…

Tips to avoid cheating

However, it is common that if you do nothing, your partner will disappear without you even noticing. Nowadays, it is easy to send and receive messages on social media, so the chances of cheating are increasing. In such a case, it is best to share a minimum of information, such as a calendar app. The important thing is not to tie the other person down, but to share only the minimum necessary information and give both parties freedom. In the calendar app, omit detailed time settings, and just write down general plans such as “how you will hang out with friends.”

Ultimately, the key to a long-lasting relationship is to give your partner freedom of movement and create an environment where they don’t feel restricted.

038 Don’t think about the boring phase

The timing of when a relationship hits a plateau varies from person to person, but there is definitely a period when the relationship settles down. The notion that a relationship is in a plateau is widespread in society, but worrying too much about how to improve the relationship is a fundamental mistake. In the first place, there is no way to prevent a relationship from hitting a plateau. The important thing is not to overthink it. Rather than trying to overcome it by force, find a realistic solution – isn’t this the essence of love?

Even if you see a happy couple around you, is that really the case? On social media, you often see photos of happy couples taken at theme parks, but to take one of those photos you need to pay an admission fee that is not easy on the wallet. Also, the photos do not reveal any secrets that you are hiding from your partner. There is even a possibility that things will become strained between you two later. You can hide the parts you don’t want to show in a photo.

When you see a couple who is doing well, you may feel envious. However, we are all living the same life, so don’t think that you are the only one who is suffering. Even if you see other people’s happy moments and think “there is no way they’ll ever get tired of their relationship,” in reality, everyone will go through that period.

In other words, there is no point in overthinking the mid-season. If you can’t get through it, it’s best to just accept that your relationship just wasn’t strong enough to begin with.

039 Misunderstanding

Someone who says, “Maybe I don’t like it because it doesn’t make my heart flutter,” is the same as saying, “She’s not a ragdoll, so maybe she’s not a cat.”