Talking

Happy Couples Talk Alike
dating and technology

How Happy Couples Talk

Opposite may entice, but it's likeness that attracts.
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Opposite may entice, but it's likeness that attracts. With dating sites matching users by facial symmetry to maximize attraction, expect the next dating gimmick to analyze users' profiles. A new study found initial attraction and couple happiness is higher among people who talk and write alike.

The best part about the study is the authors created a site to analyze how in sync any two people are. You simply paste in an email or chat from you and any persons of interest — it's best if they're from the same conversation — and then voilà. Your relationship destiny awaits, or you'll just find out if you're above or below the mean for happy couples. Still, I love when relationships can be quantified! Go take it, and tell us where you stand.

People in Love Talk Alike
relationships

What the Language of Love Sounds Like

It's all too obvious when couples dress alike, but talking alike is much more subtle.
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It's all too obvious when couples dress alike, but talking alike is much more subtle. And if you're lucky, it happens to you.

University of Texas researchers studied the poetry and letters of two famous literary couples — Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning and Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath — to determine that couples matched each other's language when relationships were intense and in sync.

Knowing that language-mirroring reveals the state of a relationship, researchers analyzed couples' language by counting the ways they used pronouns, prepositions, and other words in various sentences. The conclusion? Happy couples talk alike.


When Does a Baby Become a Toddler?
Toddler

Kids Grow Up Quick: When Is a Baby No Longer a Baby?

He might always be his mama's baby, but at what point does a babe transition into a tot?
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He might always be his mama's baby, but at what point does a babe transition into a tot? Some people say it is when a child walks, others factor in how much he talks or the types of food the child eats and his sleeping habits. Then there's the big first birthday, a milestone that for many marks the transition. What do you think?

Do Tell: Why Ask, When You Already Know the Answer?
Advice

Do Tell: Why Ask, When You Already Know the Answer?

As someone who offers a lot of advice, I’m often asked questions in which it’s clear to me that the asker already knows the answer.
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As someone who offers a lot of advice, I’m often asked questions in which it’s clear to me that the asker already knows the answer. In fact, they’re often first to point out that they know exactly what to do, but they’re just unable to do it. I had been thinking a lot about this and then it dawned on me; they’re probably just looking for permission to do the “wrong” thing.

I could be completely mistaken, so I want to know your opinion on this. Do you ever encounter this with your friends? Are you guilty of doing this yourself? Ladies, do tell, why ask when you already know the answer?

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A Do or a Don't: Going Into Detail
Love and Sex

A Do or a Don't: Going Into Detail

When I’m being told one of my friend’s dating escapades, I like all the details.
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When I’m being told one of my friend’s dating escapades, I like all the details. Maybe I’m just nosy, but I'd want to make an informed opinion if I’m asked for it. Likewise, I’m apt to walk my friends step-by-step through a situation I've been through. That’s me — I’m all about the details. But not all my friends share my enthusiasm for sharing the specifics.

Recently when I asked a friend to tell me all the juicy details about her date, she reproached me and said, “I want to keep some things to myself.” Immediately, I apologized, because I knew exactly what she meant — butt out. Are there things you’d rather just gloss over when dishing to your friends? Or when it comes to reliving your personal drama, are you a detail-oriented woman like myself?

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The How-To Lounge: Saying What You Mean
Advice

The How-To Lounge: Saying What You Mean

Even though I’m constantly going on and on about the importance of communication, I’ll be the first to admit that communicating well is a very difficult thing to master — there’s a reason why we often refer to miscommunication.
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Even though I’m constantly going on and on about the importance of communication, I’ll be the first to admit that communicating well is a very difficult thing to master — there’s a reason why we often refer to miscommunication. Sometimes it’s all too easy for lines to get crossed, and before you know it what you said was not at all what you meant. Since I’m sure this is a common problem, I’ve come up with a few tips so you can finally start saying what you mean. To see them just read more

The How-To Lounge: Avoiding the Phone Obsession
Advice

The How-To Lounge: Avoiding the Phone Obsession

It wasn't all that long ago when people used to sit by the phone waiting for a call.
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It wasn't all that long ago when people used to sit by the phone waiting for a call. But just because times have changed and we can now drag our phone around with us everywhere we go, it doesn't mean that we've stopped the obsessive when-will-they-call behavior. In fact, having access to our phones every minute of every day only makes us more likely to worry about when the darn thing will ring! To work on avoiding this obsessive phone behavior, just read more

Parody of Above the Influence Talking Dog Ad
Dogs

Uptight Dog Is a Walking PSA

"Above the Influence" recently released an anti-drug ad featuring a talking dog and his pot smoking best friend, Aubrey.
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"Above the Influence" recently released an anti-drug ad featuring a talking dog and his pot smoking best friend, Aubrey. In the ad, the dog corners Aubrey in the kitchen to bark at her for her irresponsible drug use. Confrontational much? The situation only gets worse when our gal returns home from partying later that night — at four in the morning. That's when the dog cops a 'tude, gets crass and crude, and lets the unnecessary insults fly . . .