6 Fascinating Facts About Exes
Whether you love them or love to hate them (or couldn't care less about what an old BF is doing), trust us-you'll still want to know this info.
By Mina Azodi
Trash Talking Him Has an Upside
You know that hating on your ex feels really good (um, the guy pretty much wore dad jeans, am I right?), and now science-not just your girlfriends-has your back. Researchers from the University of Utah found that people who expressed negative feelings about an ex were less likely to feel depressed immediately after a breakup, and they were more likely to have moved on one month later.
Keeping In Touch Isn't Always a Bad Idea
Normally we're all for cutting off contact, but if you're still kinda-sorta pining for a dude, going cold turkey can make you feel worse, suggests a University of Arizona study. Interestingly, study participants felt better if they maintained some sort of friendship with the guy. If you fall into this category, at least limit the "friendship to occasional emails or an annual "happy bday!" post on his Facebook wall. If you control the communication and keep it minimal, you're less likely to get into a weird (and hurtful) gray zone.
Related: How To Make Your Ex Jealous
Discussing an Old BF Can Bring You Closer to Your New Guy
Okay, so we're not saying you should try this on a first date, but coming clean about previous LTR baggage can actually be a good thing for your current relationship. A study published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology showed that when people reveal personal info-like previous relationship problems-to a new partner, they feel more intimate.
Holding on to Memories Can Hurt Your Current LTR
It's healthy to sometimes think about a past relationship when you're happily coupled up...but take note if you tend to reminisce whenever you hit a rough patch with your new bf. A recent Canadian study of both American and Canadian couples found that people tend to use those memories to soothe and validate themselves when they're going through a temporary low in their current relationship, and that this increases the odds of a break-up down the line.
Related: Should You Be Friends with an Ex?
Your Ex is Probably Facebook Stalking You...
...And we're guessing you're probably doing the same, judging by how common it's become. In a recent survey, 85 percent of respondents admitted to looking up an ex's profile-and nearly one in five checked it once a week. Obviously, curiosity plays a role in cyber-stalking, but according to a University of Missouri study, we also do it just because it feels good. The scientists hooked up nearly 40 students to sensors and measured their physiological responses while they searched the site. It turns out, the students actually felt pleasure while looking at a former partner's profile pics, wall posts, etc.
...And He Probably Wants You Back Too
Women sometimes get a bad rap for fixating on the past, but a survey of men and women proves that guys are the ones who are more likely to be wistful about an old flame. A majority of the single men questioned admitted that they wished they were still in a previous relationship (compared to only a quarter of single women). Kinda nice to think about when you're Facebook-stalking-err, casually viewing all the pics of him partying.
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