It’s human nature to turn to the closest people in your life for advice, to vent, or just for a good “man bashing” conversation. Most of the time, just talking to your girlfriends about the good or bad news in your relationship is relaxing, and many times it’s reassuring to know that you’re not always the problem.
But what happens when you’ve disclosed too much information, and those girls’ nights out become the cause of your arguments at home?
You would think an occasional get-together with your closest friends and some wine wouldn’t be harmful, but let’s weigh the pros and the cons of “girl talk.”
Pros:
1. There is nothing like a night with your girls after a stressful week at work and a headache at home; a minute to unwind, laugh, and catch up with your friends.
2. If they are real friends (neutral), they won’t always pick your side in a situation. You need someone who will tell you you were right or wrong.
3. Girls understand “girl philosophy”. It’s nice to have someone on the same page as you!
4. You’ll always need someone to lean or depend on when all has gone wrong. Girlfriends will be there to catch you when you fall and are a good resource to have for a number of reasons, so be it networking, finances, love advice, etc.
5. “Been there, done that!” You can share your past experiences with your friends, which in turn may be helping them get through a similar situation.
6. Who wants to take their man to a club?
Cons:
1. The old “I don’t want you telling people our business.” Your boyfriend doesn’t want your friends knowing what’s going on at home, or how he puts it down–or doesn’t put it down–in the bedroom. Touché.
2. Your girlfriends won’t forgive him when you do. After you and bae have made up, your best friend is still upset that he cheated on you. Understandable.
3. “You don’t need him…” No one understands how you feel about your relationship but you, so they will try to talk you out of it. Although they may have your best interests in mind, this is where you might have to draw the line.
4. Sometimes, secrets are not always kept discreet. Next thing you know, everyone knows that your man is belligerent when he drinks and you’re sending him to rehab. Welp, clearly, you shouldn’t have told Keyshia!
5. Jealousy. This green-eyed monster may not be so obvious at first, but sharing your success, whether relationship or work related, can cause other women to envy you, even your best friend.
6. After you have let these girls into your personal life without boundaries, how can you expect them to know when it’s no longer their business?
There’s nothing wrong with having one very close friend that you turn to when you need a female moment, but take a minute to think, “Am I over-sharing? Is this helping me or hurting me?” That will also help you eliminate who you can’t trust in your little circle of girlfriends.
Join the conversation at @HerSource on Twitter and help us answer the question: Is “girl talk” killing your romantic relationship?
