Before Inebriety

learn from the mistakes of others,sweetie..

This issue Tipsy really has nothing to do with moral principles, scrupples, societal perceptions and taboos. It all has to do with the level of relationship between two friends and boils down to the man-code and woman-code held and respected between them. Sometimes breaking or adhering to these codes is really not an issue to friends. Sometimes it's what defines a friendship. Like all things, it's relative.

On my part, as long as there consent and/or permission is sought, there really shouldn't be any problem. If the friend acts nonchalant about it and allows you to date his/her ex and post facto goes hysterical, raises all hell over it and acts suddenly territorial over the ex, then that friend should have just been honest in the first place and said that it was going to be a problem. No use crying over spilt milk...water under the bridge...so on and so forth. As far as I'm concerned, that friend should just do himself/herself and the one seeking to date the ex a favor and be brutally frank about the situation rather than potentially contribute (yes, he/she is also to blame) to any ruin of the friendship.

Ergo...be honest with friends (ask and answer bluntly, no need for explanations), act like adults (if that's what you are), and deal with the consequences of anything and everthing you do after (whether you are the friend asking or being asked).

Things become issues in lives or between people only when you make them out to be.