You know how I usually tell you to be the bigger person, be clear in your intentions, be honest? Yeah, sometimes all of that needs to go out the window and you need to let the petty out.
Pettiness takes a lot of different forms, not to mention all the levels of pettiness that exist. We’ve all felt it, and it’s usually triggered by something very small. Now, usually this is the part where I would tell you to rise above whatever situation you’re in, but you know what? Sometimes being petty feels goooooood.
When we were kids, nothing made us wanna be more petty than our siblings, right? Or was that just me? Taking their favorite color popsicle because they ate the last cookie yesterday, even though you really wanted a green one instead? Stuff like that. Petty.
Now that we’re in our 20s and 30s, dating makes us petty. And while things like “I’m not texting first” generally irk me (because: petty), I do understand it. My favorite way to be petty? Well, Beyoncé said it best. Every now and then you gotta go in the back of that closet and pull out that freakum dress.
Yeah, I’m totally that person. Ol’ dude pissing me off? Pull out a dress that accentuates all your good parts, grab your girls and go out. The best part is that this works in any stage of the dating process. Whether you’re still getting to know each other or a couple of years in, sometimes you need that little ego boost.
So now for the responsible part of this post: make sure your pettiness comes with boundaries. It’s very easy to cross from petty to disrespectful or even hurtful, and that’s something you’re gonna wanna avoid. A couple of benchmarks you can use to navigate that fine line: would you feel like a line had been crossed if the roles were reversed? Are you still going to be able to look at yourself in the mirror the following day? Be honest with yourself about these things and you’ll be fine. Let the pettiness commence.