The 3 Relationship Zones Worse Than the Friend Zone

The infamous friend zone, popularized by the TV sitcom Friends, is infamous for being one of the worst relationship zones you can be in. People (mostly men) are always complaining and joking that they missed an opportunity to date a hot women because they got “friend zoned.”  But what if I told you that there were worst places to be than the friend zone; places so horrifying, you don’t realize you’re in them until it’s too late.

Yes friend zone, you may be bad, but at least you aren’t…

3. The “Knight in Shining Armor” Zone.

This zone, popularized by the first girl I dated, is for the type of person who is just waiting for “Mr./Ms. Perfect” to come along and sweep them off their feet. They will often find themselves passing up on great dates, not because of important things, but because they liked Star Trek and the person they went out with liked Star Wars.

How to Avoid It:

            The entire concept of a “Mr./Ms. Perfect” comes from the idea that out there is our soulmate, someone who is exactly the same as us but has the set of genitalia that we like. We are taught from a young age that if someone we want to date doesn’t make us excited to be with them every minute then there is obviously something wrong with them. The sad truth comes in realizing that no person exists, only people close to this.

That’s not to say that if someone throws up a major red flag that you should date them, if you feel no spark then there’s probably a good reason, but if your deal breaker is a TV show then maybe you should give this person a second chance.

2. The “We’ve Been Here for a Long Time” Zone.

These are the people, as popularized by… umm…me, who took my advice in the last entry to the extreme. They often follow to relationship paths. The first one is those who saw my advice in the last entry to the extreme and decided that life is too short to be spent looking for Mr./Ms. Perfect so they just continue to date people so they won’t be lonely. A big trademark of these people is either being called a “playa” (if they’re a guy.) or a slut (if they’re a girl) in that they’ll break up with someone one day and be with someone else the next.

The second path this people take is that originally they felt a spark but that died out after a while. If you hear someone complaining that they and their partner don’t have as active a sex life as they used to, then they are caught on the cold end of this zone.

How to Avoid It:

            You and I both need to understand one thing: loneliness is okay.

Again, if there isn’t a spark between you and a potential partner there’s probably a good reason why. Your brain is an amazing thing and if something is telling you that you two aren’t compatible then you’re probably not. And if you suddenly find yourself uninterested in a long standing partner then know that that’s okay and break it off. Statistically speaking, no relationship will succeed. That’s what makes love a miracle, every case defies the odds. True happiness comes in finding a relationship that stands the test of time and succeeds.

1. The“Special Circumstances”Zone.

No matter how stupid it may seem to someone outside the relationship, an abusive relationship is hard to escape from. Don’t believe me? Here’s a Cracked.com article to help me prove it. You feel as if it’s your fault, or at least, not their fault. This is without a doubt the worst relationship zone to be in. Nearly 30% of women and 10% of men have experienced some form of domestic violence or abusive relationships. One of the most important things people in this situation need to understand is that you are not alone. There are about 24 victims of IPV (Intimate Partner Violence) every minute.

How to Avoid It:

            Here. This link brings you to a website with a mental checklist of signs of an abusive relationship. No names are given so please, be honest with yourself. If you’re interested in finding out the latest, up-to-date statistics about IPV then you can go to the Nation Domestic Violence Hotline and find all of that. If you want to help people in this situation then please,  you can apply for a job. If you find that you’re checking more and more boxes off on that checklist then please, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1.800.799.7233. These are good people and will help you get out of your relationship. Best of luck.