Ask Justin: I'm Uncomfortable When My Ex And New Partner Get Along

Culture Sex Relationships

Okay so, I like to maintain close friendships with my exes who are important to me, but I’m struggling with knowing and enforcing my boundaries in those relationships. It’s got to the point where I’ve introduced a new partner to an ex at an event or party and unsurprisingly they’ve got on very well - so well that on a few occasions there’s been some flirting and once or twice some deeper romantic feelings from one of them (though nothing has ever been acted upon as far as I’m aware). It seems that in an effort for everyone to feel okay, an ex and a new partner latch on to each other, but it can leave me feeling quite stressed and pushed out. Also I tend to date people that are quite extraverted and I’m more introverted/socially anxious, so their instinct when this happens is to (friendlily) assert their social position, and my instinct is to withdraw. I’m happy that my ex and new partner get along and are making an effort to make each other and themselves comfortable, but I seem to end up feeling very uncomfortable. At the same time, if my ex is important in my life, but I have a new partner or a close friend that I enjoy being friends with independently, it feels unfair and logistically difficult for me to either keep them apart or dictate the closeness of their friendship. And if I try to not invite my ex to a social event, when we’re part of a similar social world, they then understandably end up feeling hurt, and left out or pushed away. I don’t want to cut off my exes, but as I get older I seem to be developing a bigger and bigger web of complicated dynamics that is making me increasingly stressed out in social situations. It’s making me want to cut ties with everyone and leave this city! P.s. I’m queer if you hadn’t already guessed. It’s okay to set some boundaries, or to say how you’re feeling, or to ask for people to have a bit of extra care Let’s think about the ‘thisness’ of the terms ‘extroverted / introverted / socially anxious’ You seem to be disavowing your own power to act here power over and power to. It’s a complex entanglement where the affective power is moving throughout This entanglement isn’t over there, you’re in it. It is you. Instead of ‘stressed out in social situations. It’s making me want to cut ties with everyone and leave this city!’ what would you like to be instead? Imagine your best hopes came true, what will you notice?