Love, relationship and dating are all very complicated and now add a love triangle to the mixture and you get a horrible dilemma. But it really sucks when you are on one of the sides, trying to get the attention of the other person.
If you feel like you are stuck in a love triangle and just want to get out of it, here are six simple steps to follow.
#1. Recognize Your Role in a Triangle Relationship
Before trying to resolve this dilemma, first, take a look in the mirror and examine your role in the love triangle. And, usually, there are two main forms of a love triangle:
- In the “rivalrous” one, you are one of the two individuals competing with the other to obtain the exclusive love of the third person.
- In the split-object relationship, you are the person whose love is being divided between two persons at the same time. However, this can also be sometimes just a product of your imagination. You can either imagine that you are in a relationship with a person you’ve never met before or romanticize about a relationship from the past.
The only reasonable way to get out of this situation as quickly as possible is by analyzing which role you are playing in the situation.
#2. Ask Yourself if It Is Worth It
Suppose you are in a love triangle, where you are playing the “rivalrous” one. Every day you will most probably go through different kinds of emotions. One day, you will feel as if you are the most important person in that individual’s life and on another day, it will be the total opposite. One day you are on cloud nine and the next day, you are down in the dumps. This is when you should start asking yourself if it is really worth it.
I mean, think about it, if a person genuinely loves you, they would want to make you feel really special and not as a third wheel. If you are making a person a priority in your life, you should be treated in the same way.
#3. Be Honest With Yourself
Let’s face it: it’s always difficult to be open and honest, especially when it comes to relationship stuff. However, if you don’t want a corrosive and damaging relationship that will affect everyone in the triangle, including yourself, better be honest with yourself.
Are you attracted to this person only because you know you can’t get them? Do you think the other two know about this triangle? Or, is this all your imagination?
#4. Consider Your Options
Now, remember it is completely up to you whether you want to leave or stay in a love triangle. Here are some options which you may consider and decide based on what you think is the best for you:
- If you and your romantic partner are not really committed in any way and both of you agreed to an open relationship, you may stay in the triangle as much as you want.
- Many also tend to think in terms of “shoulds” and “rights.” For instance, “it wasn’t right for him to flirt with that woman when he knew we were engaged. There might be good reasons for explaining what should have really happened, but remember that love does not occur on an objective basis.
- You might be unable to leave the triangle due to financial insecurity, social taboo or lack of support and so on.
- Maybe seeking the help of an expert might help you to make a better decision.
#5. Accept There Is No Perfect Solution
Once you’ve made a choice and decide to move forward with it, you must accept that it will not be a perfect one. Just forget the “but I love them both and we can try working it out all together,” because that will never work.
Instead, go for the choice that will satisfy you the most.
#6. Don’t Let It Happen Again
After moving on from the triangle, try to learn a lesson from it and do not let it repeat again in your life.
Love triangles only look good in sitcoms. But, in real life, they represent much more trouble and not really worth your time.