When I first heard the term "Love Triangle" I couldn't work out how on Earth it was possible. I was in primary school at the time, and I got as far as: Girl A likes Boy, but Boy likes Girl B. Then I couldn't get any further, because the only logical conclusion that would make it a triangle was if Girl B liked Girl A, and in primary school, girls like boys and boys like girls, but girls don't like other girls and boys don't like other boys.
Later in life, I learnt about sexuality, and that sometimes boys can like boys and girls can like girls, and then I managed to make the love triangle work, but only with bisexual people. Girl A likes Boy, but Boy likes Girl B, but Girl B likes Girl A. Now both Girl A and B have to be bisexual, because Boy wouldn't like Girl B if he had no chance of getting with her (ie. she was a lesbian), and Girl B wouldn't like Girl A if Girl A was straight, because she would have no chance of getting with her. My reasoning was, that if you realised that you had no chance with someone (ie. they were the wrong gender, or you're the wrong gender, or they are already in a relationship with someone else) you would work on getting over your emotions and try to move on.
So that's when I came up with the concept of a love directed acyclic graph (DAG). This doesn't pose any constraints on anybody's sexuality, because Girl A -> Boy -> Girl B is a DAG, and they could all be heterosexual or bisexual, but the point is, the graph still holds. QC mentioned having a 2nd floor web of love or something like that which sounds like a funny thing just to see what has happened in the past (and how incestuous 2nd floor relationships are), but maybe you could use it for the future as well.
If Facebook had a feature for love DAGs, then things would be easier. If you are listed as in a relationship, you drop off the DAG. You can secretly list who you have a crush on, and they will add those arrows to the DAG. If the person you have a crush on lists you in return, you both get a message and the magic can start (and you both drop off the DAG)! If the person you have a crush on doesn't return your feelings, then you can be happy with the feeling that you have an extra arrow leading off your vertex on the DAG. It's a win-win situation.
When (er... I mean "if" *cough, cough*) you break up, then you can rejoin the DAG, and try to find your next victim! In the event that you end up with a huge DAG, maybe I can do another poll and maybe get something published in a journal! Win-win-win situation. :)
3 comments:
Haha Anna, seriously?
In your example only Girl B needs to be atleast a lesbian (assuming homo/heterosexuality is a subset of bisexuality). Love triangles work (in fiction, haven't encountered any real ones, only love tug-of-war) because people don't know something about one or both of the other participates. The point is it's not logical. And even if Boy knows Girl B is lesbian doesn't mean he doesn't want her. And even if Girl B knows Girl A is straight doesn't mean she isn't upset when she sees Girl A make out with Boy at a party when they're both drunk and then she goes and gets upset and more drunk and makes out with a girl she knows is lesbian in front of Boy while making eyes at him to make Girl A hurt as much as she does when Girl A realises Boy totally wants Girl B. You don't need logic, you just need misunderstanding and the consequent hurt feelings, that's why it makes good drama :P
Re: the Facebook relationship DAG idea: do you seriously want Facebook knowing EVEN MORE about your personal life than they already do? Especially when inevitable privacy breaches happen.
But how can it be a triangle if it will never work out? That's pretty much my only problem with it - it doesn't ever get resolved. Though you're right, feelings aren't logical, and it's entirely possible for you to fall in love with someone who would never return your feelings.
Everyone is stealing everyone's private data these days, might as well get something good out of it! :)
I think what I also meant, which I wasn't very clear about in the post, was that a lot of people use the term "Love triangle" when they actually mean "Love DAG".
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