He's Just Not That Into You: Greg Behrendt & Liz Tuccillo: The No-Excuses Truth to Understanding Guys

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You Are All Dating the Same Guy Hey. I know that guy you’re dating. Yeah, I do. He’s that guy that’s so tired from work, so stressed about the project he’s working on. He’s just been through an awful breakup and it’s really hitting him hard. His parents’ divorce has scarred him and he has trust issues. Right now he has to focus on his career. He can’t get involved with anyone until he knows what his life is about. He just got a new apartment and the move is a bitch. As soon as it all calms down he’ll leave his wife, girlfriend, crappy job. God, he’s so complicated. He is a man made up entirely of your excuses. And the minute you stop making excuses for him, he will completely disappear from your life. Are there men who are too busy or have been through something so horrible that makes it hard for them to get involved? Yes, but there are so few of them that they should be considered urban legends. For as already suggested, a man would rather be trampled by elephants that are on fire than tell you that he’s just not that into you. That’s why we’ve written this book. We wanted to get the excuses out of the closet, so to speak, so they can be seen for exactly what they are: really bad excuses. Hey—do you remember that movie when the girl waited around for the guy to ask her out, then made excuses when he didn’t? Then she slept with him when they were both drunk, and basically just hung around until they were kind of dating? Then he cheated on her, but because she knew deep down inside that if she forgave him and kept her expectations low and was really agreeable that she’d get him in the end? He was drunk at the wedding but they lived miserably ever after in an unsatisfying relationship that was built on a shitty foundation? You don’t? That’s because those movies don’t get made, because that’s not what love is like. People are inspired to do remarkable things to find and be with the one they love. Big movies are made about it, and every relationship you admire bursts with a greatness that you hope for in your own life. And the more you value yourself, the more chance you’ll have of getting it. So read these excuses, have a laugh, and then…put them all to rest. You’re worth it. It’s So Simple If you are in a mutually established monogamous relationship, then when someone cheats on you, they have decided to blatantly disrespect a very important decision you two made together. They’ve chosen to do this without your knowledge, thereby adding lies and secrecy to your relationship. Let’s call cheating what it is: a complete betrayal of trust. Cheaters are people who have a lot of stuff to work out and they’re working it out on your time and with your heart. Some cheaters might give you an excuse, some might not have one at all, some might even blame you. No one can tell you exactly what to do when faced with this very complicated and painful situation. But the bottom line is, is this what you had hoped for in a relationship? - 20 - Our Super-Good Really Helpful Workbook Hey, what’s a self-help tome without a workbook? Our chapters will all be so brave and wise that we want to make sure you retain as much of the brilliance as you can. So for all of you who feel the need to get out of your problems and into your crayon box, have at it. Love, Greg and Liz Remember in grade school how they told you not to write in your textbooks? Screw that! Grab a pen and list five reasons why you think you have every right or good reason to call him. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Put the book aside and wait an hour. Or at least ten minutes. Then ask yourself: Do I seem pathetic? Do I sound like someone who doesn’t trust my own innate hotness? Yes, you do! Now put your dialing finger away, get out of the house, and go find some fun. P.S.: You just did a workbook exercise about a guy who hasn’t even extended to you the energy of a phone call. Why would you want to chase that down? Life is hard enough as it is without choosing someone difficult to share it with. You deserve to be with someone who is nice to you all the time. (You have to be nice to them, too.) There’s never a reason to shout at someone unless they are in imminent danger. Freaks should remain at the circus, not in your apartment. You already have one asshole. You don’t need another. Make a space in your life for the glorious things you deserve. Have faith. What other choice is there? Our Super-Good Really Helpful Workbook It’s very easy for us to give advice, and quite honestly, it’s kind of fun. We’ve even learned a little about ourselves in the process. (Well, at least Liz has.) Why don’t you give it a try? It’s fun to feel you know better than other people! - 15 -

FROM THE DESK OF GREG Dear Starved for Affection, Have to say, little suspicious of someone who doesn’t like one of the greatest pleasures on earth. What else does he not like that you don’t know about yet? Puppies? Babies? Having a soul? And if you like being affectionate for all the obvious reasons, then why would you want to doom yourself to a no-touching zone with Mr. Uncomfortable? Yes, some men have a hard time being physically affectionate, but actually not enjoying it? It’s difficult to fathom. He may be really into you, but he’s certainly not really compatible with you. I say move on, meet someone who enjoys the things you like, and have a long life filled with playful grab-ass. You will meet people who don’t like to be touched, or kissed, or who don’t like sex. You can spend a lot of time trying to fix them, or wondering if you should take it personally. Or you can realize that they simply don’t like to do the things you find absolutely essential to your enjoyment of life, and then go find yourself someone who does. This is What It Should Look Like, by Liz A friend of mine told a story about a date with a guy she was really excited about: He stood her up. He then called her, begging her forgiveness and giving some excuse. She told him to get lost, telling him that he only gets one shot with her, and he blew it. Imagine what this woman would have done with a boyfriend who cheated on her? P.S.: One could say she cleared the path for the next guy, who didn’t blow it and is now married to her and treats her like a queen. I don’t. I just don’t see the point in being in a relationship that appears to be damaging and beneath you. You are a really cool, obviously very cute…” “You don’t know me!” she practically shouted, cutting me off mid-sentence. “How do you know I can do better? You’ve only just met me. And why do you care anyway?” Wow! She had me dead to rights. I was stunned for a moment but then I remembered why I’m doing this, and I said to her what I would say to you now. “I don’t need to know you to know that at the very least you ought to think that way about yourself.” And why do I care? Or better yet, who am I to be giving advice to others? I am a formerly single guy who gave those same lame excuses, so I know what these guys are really doing. When I met my wife, Amiira, I became a different guy, a man who showed up, suited up, and was glad to do so, because I believe in love the verb, not the noun. I believe in letting the woman I love know I love her all the time with my actions. Why do I care about you? Because I have a sister and many women friends whom I love dearly, despite their unwillingness to hear the clanging bells of a crappy relationship. Because I have a wonderful sister and so many amazing women friends who still don’t have the confidence to believe that they deserve better and will only find someone better after they unload the dead weight of an inadequate suitor. Because I have an incredible sister and so many brilliant women friends who don’t yet truly accept that profound love is uplifting, joyous, inspiring, and intoxicating, and that they should never settle for anything less. Shitty relationships make you feel shitty, and that’s not what you were put on this earth for. It’s all fun and games to have some insight and a witty reply to your letters, but at the core the “He’s just not that into you” concept can truly have a magical transcendent effect. It’s not bad news if it helps you free yourself from a relationship that is beneath you. And we both know that only you can free yourself. I don’t pretend to know how to fix you. I do know how to help you recognize the problem. I do know that you are worthy of having great relationships and an even better life. I do think you are beautiful and somewhere deep down inside you know it too, otherwise you wouldn’t be here. I believe life is a speedy and awesome gift, so don’t waste the pretty. If you are reading this, you want something better. If you are reading this, I want something better for you too. —Greg He’s Just Not That Into You - If He’s Not Dating You “Hanging Out” is Not Dating Oh, there seem to be so many variations to dating, particularly in the early stages of a relationship. So many gray, murky areas of vagueness, mystery, and no questions asked. Dudes love this time because that’s when they get to pretend they’re not really dating you. Then they also get to pretend they’re not really responsible for your feelings. When you ask someone out on a real bonafide date, you’re making it official: I’d like to see you alone to find out if we have a romantic future together (or at least pretend to listen to you while I ponder whether you’re wearing a thong). In case you need more clues: There’s usually a public excursion, a meal, and some hand-holding involved. Don’t Listen to These Stories Sure. There are the stories. Guys that get pursued by some girl first and she ends up being the love of his life; the guy that treats this girl that he sometimes sleeps with like shit for a couple of years, but she keeps at him and now he’s a devoted husband and father; the guy who doesn’t call a girl that he’s slept with for a month, and then calls her and they live happily ever after; the woman who is sleeping with the married guy who she ends up marrying and having a blissful long-term marriage with. We don’t want you to listen to these stories. These stories don’t help you. These stories are the exceptions to the rule. We want you to think of yourself as the rule. Thinking of yourself as the exception is what got you into this mess in the first place. Tell your friends to stop telling you these stories. Whenever you hear one of these stories, a story where some woman was treated badly but it all worked out okay in the end, just put your hands up to your ears and go “la-lala-la-la!” You are exceptional, but not the exception!!This one is tough. Tough because some people really do not ever want to get married to anybody. And some people just aren’t sure they want to get married to the person they are with. We all know someone who dated a person for FOREVER and then they broke-up, met a different person, and then got married in eight months. The book (and movie) insists love cures commitment-phobia. And I’m sure while that’s true some of the time, committing to someone also probably has to do with sharing similar values. Maybe someone is really into you bust just doesn’t believe in the institution of marriage. Then it becomes a question of if you’re okay with that. But one thing I don’t encourage is believing that you can change someone because you’re dating them. Sometimes you can, but most times you can’t. For me, this would be my cue to bid the dude bon voyage. 8. “He’s just not that into you if he’s breaking up with you.” Greg, I Get It! by Traci, Age 25 Greg, I get it! I had two dates with a guy. On the second date we slept together. He said he would call me the next day (Tuesday) and he didn’t call me until the weekend. When he called, I told him that it was too late. He was stunned, but really, I don’t have time for that shit. It was the first time I had ever done anything like that and it felt great! Ready to learn the most important takeaways from He’s Just Not That Into You in less than two minutes? Keep reading! Why This Book Matters: Standard Suggestions I will not go out with a man who hasn’t asked me out first. I will not go out with a man who keeps me waiting by the phone. I will not date a man who isn’t sure he wants to date me. I will not date a man who makes me feel sexually undesirable. I will not date a man who drinks or does drugs to an extent that makes me uncomfortable. I will not be with a man who’s afraid to talk about our future. I will not, under any circumstances, spend my precious time with a man who has already rejected me. I will not date a man who is married. I will not be with a man who is not clearly a good, kind, loving person. Now it’s your turn. Only you know the standards you haven’t set for yourself. Write them down. Don’t forget them. MY SUPER-HELPFUL STANDARDS THAT I WILL NEVER EVER FORGET OR FORSAKE NO MATTER HOW HOT I THINK HE IS: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. IF YOU DON’T BELIEVE GREG We did an incredibly unscientific poll where we polled twenty of our male friends (ranging from ages twenty-six to forty-five), who are in serious long-term relationships. Not one of their relationships started with the woman asking them out first. One guy even said that if she had, “It would have spoiled all the fun.” What You Should Have Learned in This Chapter

Greg, seriously, are you really sure I can’t ask the guy out? Guys say I’m intimidating. I should be allowed to help them out a bit. Most of the great things we want in life are intimidating. That’s what makes life so darn exciting. Do you really have time for a guy who’s so afraid of you that he’s not even capable of inviting you for coffee?The “But We Really Are Dating” Excuse Dear Greg, I’ve been dating a guy for three months. We spend four or five nights a week together. We go to events together. He calls me when he says he’s going to and never flakes out on me. We’re having a great time. He recently informed me that he doesn’t want to be anyone’s boyfriend and isn’t ready for a serious relationship. But I know he’s not dating anyone else. I think he’s just scared of the term “boyfriend.” Greg, I’m always hearing that women should listen to men’s actions, not their words. So doesn’t that mean I should just ignore him and be secure in the fact that he wants to spend all this time with me— that no matter what he’s actually saying, the truth is he’s really into me? Keisha IF YOU DON’T BELIEVE GREG 100% of guys polled said they have never accidentally slept with anyone. (But many of them wanted to know how this accident could occur, and how they can get involved in such an accident.) The “It’s Better Than Nothing” Excuse Dear Greg, I’ve been dating a guy for six months. We see each other about every two weeks. We have a great time, we have sex, it’s all really nice. I thought if I just let things develop, we would start to see each other more often. But instead, it’s staying in this every-two-weeks situation. I really like him, so I still feel like it’s better than nothing. And you never know, things can change at any time. I know he’s really busy, and maybe this is the most time he can dedicate to a relationship right now. So maybe I should actually feel honored that he’s able to give me as much time as he does, and he might actually really like me. No? Lydia FROM THE DESK OF GREG Dear Better Than Nothing, Really? Is better than nothing what we’re going for now? I was hoping for at least a lot better than nothing. Or perhaps even something. Have you lost your marbles? Why should you feel honored for getting scraps of his time? Just because he’s busy doesn’t make him more valuable. “Busy” does not mean “better.” In my book, any guy who can wait two weeks to see you, is just not that into you. Oh, how easy it is for you all to forget what it’s about! Let me remind you: It’s about the guy who wants you, calls you, makes you feel sexy and desired fully. He wants to see you more and more often because every time he sees you, he likes and then loves you more and more. I know. Every two weeks, once a month, seeing someone, having a little love and affection may help you get through the day or the week or the month—but will it help you get through a lifetime? This is What It Should Look Like, by Greg My friend Amy is deathly afraid of clowns, so her husband Russell makes sure she never sees one or is near one. Now this might not seem like a difficult task or one that requires great personal sacrifice, until you’ve actually tried to avoid all the clowns in the world. Oh, it’s not as easy as you’d think. You’d be amazed at how many clowns are out there. But Russell does it because after ten years of marriage, he still wants to protect his wife from things that frighten her. He might be lying in the hospital with amnesia, but more likely he’s just not that into you. No answer is your answer. Don’t give him the chance to reject you again. Let his mother yell at him. You’re too busy. There’s no mystery—he’s gone and he wasn’t good enough for you.

People tell you who they are all the time. When a man says he can’t be monogamous, you should believe him. Companionship is wonderful, but companionship with sex is even better. Call a spade a spade or, more fittingly, a friend a friend, and go find yourself a friend that can’t keep his hands off you. Your lost self-esteem may take longer to find than a new boyfriend, so prioritize accordingly. If you’re tempted to spend countless nights just cuddling with someone, buy a puppy. There’s someone out there that does want to have sex with you, hot stuff. - 18 - This is where I have to put my practicing Catholic hat on and say, “This is definitely not always true.” Especially if the person has religious, moral, and other reasons for which they don’t want to have sex with you (until a certain time). Moreover, people’s attitudes to sex differs greatly and like it or not, the way people view sex can be a deal-breaker. But in my observation of secular society, sometimes it’s the people who want to wait, that are actually really into you. So again, this piece of advice depends heavily on the values and perspectives of the individuals involved. 5. “He’s just not that into you If he’s having sex with someone else.”This is What It Should Look Like, by Greg I regretfully admit to having “disappeared” on a woman in my previous life as a single guy. A year later I saw this woman on the street, standing in front of a café. She looked stunning and was holding hands with a very handsome dude. I realized that I was of course ten million miles out of her head, and probably had been two minutes after I stopped calling her. Her life looked way more dignified than my behavior.

What is sometimes mean: I’m just not that into you. I’m just not that into you. A guy you should stay away from. I’m just not that into you. I’m just not that into you. I’m just not that into you. I’m just not that into you. IF YOU DON’T BELIEVE GREG 100% of men polled said that when they broke up with someone, it always meant that they didn’t want to go out with them anymore. (One guy even asked, “How can you have great breakup sex if you don’t break up?” Don’t go out with this guy!) The “Is This Really an Excuse?” Dilemma Dear Greg, I’m thirty-three and have been living with a guy for two years. We are in love, he’s great to me, and we get along perfectly. He has no problems committing to me—he just doesn’t want to get married. He married young and got divorced young. He says he doesn’t want to ruin a good thing. It seems insane of me to break up with him because he doesn’t want to get married. We are sharing a life together and are very happy. He’s even open to having kids. He just doesn’t want to get married. In this case, I don’t think he’s just not that into me. I think he’s just not that into marriage. Lindsey FROM THE DESK OF GREG Dear Common Law Lady, Okay, this may be controversial, but I’m going to say it. No matter how traumatic a divorce was (and I know they can be traumatic in epic proportions), the person you plan on spending your life and having children with should love you enough to get over it if getting married is important to you. Only you can decide if marriage is a deal breaker for you. I can’t tell you if it’s worth breaking up with him if you’re happy and have a nice life together. That’s for you to decide. I have never been divorced, I’ll give you that, but I’d marry my wife in every time zone if that’s what she wanted. In my very conventional opinion, I believe one foot in is the same as one foot out. Marriage is a tradition that has been somewhat imposed on us, and therefore has a lot of critics. Be that as it may, if someone is as against marriage as you are for it, please make sure there aren’t other things going on besides he’s just not that into the institution. Reset Your Standards Sure, you say, “But I have standards.” Well, your standards led you to this book, so let’s raise them. Let’s set a dignified bar for you to exist at. Let’s put you in charge with how it’s going to go next time. (But you ask, “What if there isn’t going to be a next time?” And we say, “Stow that bad-news cargo on the sure-to-sink ship. Because that ship is about to hit Sad Island and we don’t want you on it.”) A standard is setting a level for yourself of what you will or won’t tolerate. You get to decide how it’s going to be for you. You can now design the person you want to be in the future, and the standards you want to have. Write your new standards down so you’ll never ever forget them, no matter how cute he is or how long it’s been since you’ve had sex. (Okay, we admit it, some of our workbook things were a little silly, but this one we mean.) Make sure you know what you stand for and what you believe in. And because we obviously think we know better than you (we got a book deal, didn’t we?), we’re going to give you some standard suggestions. - 42 - Now think of five of your own. (We know we took the easiest ones, but we still think there’s at least five more you can come up with.) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Read them, have a laugh, dump the cheater. Of course I can’t tell you what to do. But dump him.This is What It Should Look Like, by Greg Don’t ask me how I know, because I don’t want to tell you, but I can assure you that my parents, who are in their seventies, after children, illnesses, aging, stressful jobs, and daily annoyances (read: life), are still having sex. If my parents can do it, so can you and your boyfriend. The “Maybe It’s Just His Little Quirk” Excuse Dear Greg, I met a guy who’s really sensitive and sweet. The problem is, he doesn’t like to be physically affectionate. He tells me that he just doesn’t enjoy being touched. We have sex, and it’s nice, but he’s not that into caressing me, either. Everything else about him is great, so it seems like such a strange complaint. Do you think not wanting to cuddle and be touched is a sign that he’s just not that into me? Or could it mean he has intimacy issues? I don’t want to dump him over this, but I like physical affection! Frida - 39 - He’s married. Unless he’s all yours, he’s still hers. There are cool, loving single men in the world. Find one of them to go out with. If a guy is yelling about his ex-wife or crying over his last girlfriend, try to find someone else to take you to the movies. He’s married. Don’t be that girl. You are not easily forgotten. Let him find you when he’s ready. Greg, I Get It! by Corinna, Age 35 I was dating a guy for a couple of months when it suddenly dawned on me that he didn’t seem particularly excited about me. In the past, that would have made me try harder, make excuses for it, and even confront him with it. Instead I did a little experiment. I assumed he just wasn’t that into me and I stopped calling him. As I suspected, he never called me again! I can’t believe how much time I saved just by recognizing that I was the one doing all the work, and that I wanted more! This is What’s Hard about This One, by Liz In my life, I have had two men tell me that they had slept with someone else, in the beginning stages of our relationship. (In one case, it came to me in a dream, literally, and I confronted him. That really freaked him out.) Anyway, both times what I got from it was that these men wanted me to know that they could never be trusted. They were barely in the relationship and had already pulled the escape hatch. The beginning of two people getting together is such a fragile, tender time. There’s nothing like a big pail of Sleeping with Someone Else to put out the fires of a budding relationship. I personally would never be able to overcome that. So this isn’t really a tough one for me. Now, if I use my imagination, I could see that in the beginning, the lines are not that clearly drawn, the rules aren’t that firmly in place yet. Maybe it is the last fling before the final commitment. If it’s early in the relationship, it can be hard to know if the guy is just getting something out of his system and it’s a one-time thing, or if it’s a guy who’s just a big jerk. That’s the thing about dating—you’re having intimate experiences with someone who, at the end of the day, you don’t know very well. You don’t know his personal code of honor, you don’t have his dating rap sheet. You have to go by instinct, how much you care about him, and what he has to say for himself about it. All I can think is, how sad to be having that conversation in the beginning of things, when everything is supposed to be cozy and snugly and people are usually on their best behavior. If nothing else, I wish better for us all. I really do.