There are times in our life when we get ourselves caught in the middle of a love triangle. Relationships can be so difficult sometimes, and especially when our social scene resolves so much around intermingling with the opposite sex. It’s very easy to be casually dating and start progressing with two different people. So what should you do? Well it depends on who you are in the triangle. The key point to remember is that love triangles rarely end up with happy endings for all three people. In some cases, it ends with all three being unhappy. Tread lightly and remember these tips.

If you are the one dating two different people

1 - Make a decision

The first thing you need to do is make a decision on which one you like best and want to be with. Unless both people are okay with being strung along and just casually dating, a choice has to be made. The longer it drags out, the harder it will be since feelings continue to progress in the meantime. The stronger the feelings get over time, the more complex the situation gets.

2 - Cut it off completely with the other person

Once you do make a decision, stick to it. Lingering around that other person or hanging out occasionally not only makes it more likely for something to spark up again, but probably wouldn’t sit very well with the person that you did choose. Don’t cheat by continuing to spend time with both people, it only stretches out your problems even longer.

3 - Take it seriously

The reason that a love triangle is so dangerous is that it’s people’s feelings and emotions at stake. If you want to just casually date different people then don’t get into a relationship in the first place, much less two. Make your intentions known to those you are dating so that there’s no confusion, and it might be possible to sustain a casual dating lifestyle for a while. In the end though, even if you state your intentions clearly, there’s no guarantee that feelings won’t start to come about anyway.

If you are one of the two dating options

1 - Analyze your happiness

Dating triangles are hard to deal with. Is this person really special enough to go through this for? Even if you do get chosen, will you always think about it in the back of your mind? Is that worth it? Relationships can be hard to deal with, but stacking additional issues on top of the normal things we go through can be too much sometimes. Make sure your feelings for this person are truly genuine and worth pursuing, otherwise you could put yourself through a lot of pain for nothing.

2 - Look for a sign of commitment

Don’t just take the other person’s word that you’re the one they want. They could just as easily be saying that to the other person too. Look for certain signs that you are indeed the chosen one. Do they spend time with you on holidays? What about on their birthday? These are the major moments that we usually have the people we are closest with around us. If you’re not there on those days, maybe you’re not the chosen one after all.

3 - Don’t think it’s now or never

The last thing you should do is think that this is your ultimate chance for love. Whether you are the chosen person or not, take the situation for what it is…the possible start of a relationship. The true hard part is yet to come, as their no guarantee of success when it comes to relationships. All that you are doing now is deciding on who’s going to have that relationship.

Love triangles are stressful on everybody involved, and it’s a lot to deal with. You really have to be sure that the person you’re waiting for is the person you’re supposed to be with in order to make it worth it. It rarely ever is. The best advice actually may be just to back off and let time take it’s course. You might be surprised at who else you find along the way, and how much better it is without the drama in your life.