My dad was a funny, honest, hard-working man who loved my mother up until the moment he died. Was he full of doubts and fears? Absolutely. Was he perfect? Not even a little bit. But courage is focusing on the high wire and ignoring the fall. I once asked a friend who was a construction worker if he was scared working on buildings ten or twenty stories up. He shrugged and said, "As long as I don't fall, I'm okay. And I don't want to fall, so I don't."

Men aren't turned off by insecure women; we're turned off by women who choose their fears over their relationships. It's healthy to express vulnerability. But the best way to express vulnerability is to be brave. Fear can't hurt you. Fear can only convince you to hurt yourself. Tell him how you feel. I'd argue that a person who can't excuse you your human weakness is someone who can't deal with their own emotions, and is therefore not ready for a relationship.

Tell him once. Give him a sip of your insecurities, so he knows what they taste like. But don't drench him with a fire hose.

Gal Pal says:

In my other life, I teach comedy improv. And one of the hardest things for my students to learn is that in improv, if the character you're playing is accused of some horrible flaw, you must own up to it, even if it's something you'd feel insecure or mortified about in real life. If another actor on stage calls you an overweight dog stealer, you've got go with it. "Yes, I steal exotic dogs and sell them on the black market so I can pay for my diet pills." The interesting thing about this improv "rule" is that it's shockingly helpful in real life. Instead of fretting over your fears and hiding them from the guy you're dating, it's better to own up to them, have a good laugh and move on.

Besides, what's the worst thing he can say back? That you have an ugly face? What guy in his right mind would say -- Oh. Wait...

After two weeks the guy I'm dating says I'm not "the one" because my face isn't quite what he's looking for. Should I jump ship now or stick around and see what happens? Is this is an "I like having you around but I'm not serious about you" comment?

Wise Ass says:

No, it's an "I'm a selfish, ill-bred f**kbag who needs his ass kicked" comment. Seriously. Who talks to other people like that? "Your face isn't quite right" -- WTF?

I might be a Wise Ass, but I would never dream of saying such a thing to anyone. There are plenty of ways to tell someone she is not the one for you, but that might be the rudest one I've ever heard. I don't even know you and I would love nothing more at this moment than to knock this guy's teeth in. He needs to be taught some manners.

Should you stick around? For what, more confidence-builders from Mr. Caveman? No, don't waste one more second of your time on this guy. He's trash.

Gal Pal says:

You should stick around only long enough to take his photo, post it on "Hot or Not" and get all your friends to put him in the fugly bin. Cary's right, this man and his stinking soul deserve to be set out on the curb and buried in a reeking love landfill.

What does it mean when your boyfriend says you have a beautiful face?

Girl's BFF says:

Because I'm feeling artsy today, we shall do this as a poem. Ahem...

When I see your face I don't think of bricks

Or little blue people eating celery sticks

Or big old fat chimneys eschewing their smoke

Or stodgy British clergymen who keep calling me bloke

Or truffles with ruffles or boards for playing shuffle

Or box cut up cardboard or dogs that wear muzzles

When I see you I rarely ever think of old rubbish

Or couscous or fig leaves you don't look like hummus

Or my old ugly cousins who live in the country

Or Mike Tyson's left hook that looked really punchy

You dont look like ground beef or turkish delight

Or turducken - not scrumptious - on Thanksgiving night

I think you look dashing and charming and lovely

Unlike Bob Dylan's voice or the hair of Lyle Lovett

You don't look like a munchkin I'd stuff in my stocking

Or hang from a tree when we all get to flocking

Or like Waka Flocka, do you know who that is?

Well thank your lucky stars that you don't look like him

The point of this poem is that I like your face

And to keep me around, you should keep it that way.

The end.

Yay.

Gal Pal says:

Roses are red, violets are blue

Panama's a fox, and so are you!

Now stop looking for trouble when there's none to be found

Or the boy in question might not stick around.

As for us, we're glad to have you here,

So leave a follow-up comment and we'll give a huge cheer.

Yay.

I'm always complaining about how guys don't like me, and now when one finally does, I'm not interested in him! Should just suck it up and date him anyway knowing that this kind of thing only happens to me once every five years or so? Or should I hold out for someone I'm attracted to and lose my right to whine about it?

Chic Geek says:

Dating someone just to date someone is never the basis for a good relationship. If you aren't attracted to him, don't waste his time. Eventually he'll catch on that you aren't actually into him and it will end badly. Plus, you're both wasting time that could have been spent looking for someone else. You are turning all of your dating bitterness onto a poor guy who has feelings for you. That is pretty messed up. Dating should never be just something to do. It's better to be alone than to be with someone you don't have feelings for.

Clearly the problem here is a lack of self-esteem. Stop complaining that men don't like you. It's self-defeating, and a turn-off. That's your first step. Then work on your self image. Get a new haircut, workout more, pursue a hobby or creative interest that you've been putting off. Do whatever you need to feel better about yourself. As soon as you stop being such a Debbie Downer, guys will start to notice you and the world will open up in exciting new ways.

Take satisfaction in the fact that guys do like you. Use that as a boost to get yourself out of your current dating funk. You can't just wait for Mr. Right to knock on your door or send you a DM on a dating website. Get out there and try to meet someone. Go out after work with coworkers, attend parties, ask friends to set you up. If one dating website isn't working, try another. Don't give up. Don't settle. You deserve better, and so does the poor guy who has feelings for you.

Gal Pal says:

When I was in high school, I felt like no boy would ever, ever come near me. So when our foreign exchange student from Slovakia asked me to Junior Prom, I immediately accepted. Even though I could barely understand him and found him negatively attractive. At prom, I hardly spoke to him, let alone danced with him. I ruined his whole night, just for the chance to have a prom date. Looking back, I'm appalled by my behavior and have vowed to atone for my adolescent sins by sharing my mistakes with you, in the hopes that you, young ladies, will do better.

Have a great weekend and thank for playing, guys and girls!