tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21165575.post9115927613935780417..comments2024-03-10T20:46:19.274-04:00Comments on In the Middle: Dating Advice from Medieval HistoriansCord J. Whitakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06224143153295429986noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21165575.post-76811300374656779432008-10-28T21:04:00.000-04:002008-10-28T21:04:00.000-04:00I think all dating questions can be answered with ...I think all dating questions can be answered with the aid of medieval history (especially the gruesome bits-just think about the myriad ways to heal after an unfortunate breakup!), and I believe a love advice column attached to ITM has long been overdue. We've been perhaps too solicitous of Tiny's happiness and neglecting others'.anna klosowskahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09611569607945164280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21165575.post-20118373982424579092008-10-28T13:52:00.000-04:002008-10-28T13:52:00.000-04:00Oh, that's hilarious. Bonnie's always brin...Oh, that's hilarious. Bonnie's always bringing the good things to our lives.<BR/><BR/>I like this Q&A especially:<BR/><I><B>The girl I recently started dating assumes we're going to spend all our evenings together, but I need space to hang out with my friends without her. Is this reasonable?</B><BR/>Many a medieval feudal relationship collapsed when a vassal didn't fulfill his requirement to counsel and aid his lord. And you certainly don't want to end up known as a contumacious vassal among your friends.</I><BR/><BR/>Now, as a medieval literature person, I would have answered this question by reference to <I>Yvain</I> and <I>Erec and Enide.</I> I would have imagined Erec and/or Yvain asking the question, with a point-counterpoint between the pro-hangout with friends side (Gawain & Enide: I would imagine Gawain as a raging frat boy and Enide as more reasonable) and the anti-hangout (Laudine & Enide's cousin from the Joie de la Cort episode). And, being a medieval literature person, I've let the answer remain undecidable. <BR/><BR/>I'm reminded of a MPPPPHHH (<-- noise here to obscure the innocent) father-in-law (not mine), an annoying Republican who has suggested several times that I use my specialized medieval knowledge to get ahead in business. His advice always struck me as a bit <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Gnomes_plan.png" REL="nofollow">underpants gnomey,</A> but now I see that being a medievalist CAN set a path to profit. And it's better to be win at love than business, don't you think?<BR/><BR/>(incidentally, I met my present wife on Nerve some 6 years ago. I have no complaints, but maybe that's because, as a medievalist, I have all the answers)Karl Steelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03353370018006849747noreply@blogger.com