Somewhere along the line, we were sold the idea that romantic love is the ultimate prize and that being single is some kind of failure. We’ve been conditioned to think that if you're not in a relationship, you're somehow incomplete. But, here’s the truth — romantic love is just one kind of love. It’s not the centerpiece of life unless you make it that way. Honestly, that’s a pretty fragile foundation to build your happiness on.

Dear Abby: What’s the deal with people leading each other on these days? Someone who I thought liked me turns out to not want anything to do with me romantically — why did this happen, and how can I keep avoiding this problem?