It really is THAT easy.

Ames calls me and we talk about our favorite subject: relationships. Who we love, why we love them, the pain they cause us. We talk about people who are having problems finding love. We pontificate on why these people are having problems. We laugh at them and poke fun at them and call them stupid for not seeing what we see. All the while, we know that it's easier to make judgments when neither one of us are a party to the situation in question. We know that it's rude to question or judge peoples' choices. We hope that we're never as blind as these people who don't see the black-and-white, right-and-wrong, clear-as-day answers to their problems.

Yes, we're really that pretentious.

On the other hand, most problems really are that easy to solve.

Allow me to explain:

Thing X is happening to Person Y.

A) If Person Y is ok with Thing X, then Thing X is NOT a problem.

B) If Person Y is NOT ok with Thing X, then Thing X is a problem.

Now:

If Thing X is a problem, Person Y can...

D) Accept it and move on, thus reverting back to A.

OR

E) Change Thing X.

The "What" is clear and rather simple. It's the "How" that proves difficult. Most people like their situations, even if those situations are harmful. Many people don't know how to identify problems, and most don't know how to move on from their problems. Also: most people are hypocrites and/or liars.

Now, I'm not saying that I'm not guilty of this. I'm not even saying that it's a particularly bad thing to do; I know that there are very valid psychological reasons for using this coping mechanism. All I'm saying is, it pains me when relatively intelligent and thoughtful individuals refuse to change their Thing X, or subscribe to a theory that totally ignores their Thing X.