I met a guy a year ago on campus. We talked about almost everything under the sun. Later that night he sent me a message saying that I’d surprised him with my extensive knowledge on certain topics. We began a friendship.

He’s a very attractive guy, but I honestly wasn’t interested in him romantically or even sexually. So building our friendship was easy.

But now I’m starting to have feelings for him and am unsure if he feels the same. Meanwhile, I date uninspired guys and he doesn't date at all.

Two months ago, I noticed a change in his behaviour. He started to ask me if I wanted to hang out when usually I was the one making plans.

He started complimenting me, and keeping track of my long dramatic stories about my day.

I’m a straightforward person so I really wanted to tell him how I feel and ask him if he feels the same.

But he’s the type who runs as soon as someone takes an interest. Should I talk to him and risk our friendship or should I be patient and hope it’s a passing feeling?

Take a Risk?

Talk to him. Say you’ve noticed a difference in your friendship… that it’s closer, that you appreciate that, and that you look forward to hanging out together.

Let those thoughts simmer with him, rather than ask how he feels.

You’re still being straight forward – stating your case, as it were – without putting him on the spot and triggering his past habit of “running.”

He’s already showing signs of similar feelings. But let him develop and recognize them himself. Hang out together more, and Nature will take its course.

I'm 18, female, from Indonesia, raised a Catholic. We go to church, and my parents believe in God. But I don't. I don't disrespect Christianity, I’m… maybe, agnostic.

I've never told this to either of my parents because I'm afraid of their reactions. I kept going to church, kept praying every night. I wanted to believe, but never really did.

I went to Singapore for university. Everyone there is so open-minded and I met people from many different places with many different religions, and I thought maybe it's okay not to believe in God.

Recently, I came home for the holidays and I accidentally let slip that I don't believe in God. My mother views this as a sin. They're both disappointed in me, I know.

Now I’m caught between two sides — is it okay to be agnostic, or have I just failed my parents, failed myself?

I'm sceptical by nature, need to check if facts are true. Or was I not seeking God hard enough?

Between Belief and Scepticism

Your questions are natural, not sin. They’re part of an ages-long process of the human desire to find faith and meaning in life.

The greatest minds of all religions have asked these questions of themselves, in order to define and commit to their own beliefs.

There’s no need to dismiss your parents’ views while weighing your own. Faith is an internal debate, never a matter of who’s “right” and who’s “wrong.”

Follow your questions with study. Talk to faith leaders you respect – possibly your own at home, others too - and ask the existential questions about religion that can’t be proven, yet are widely believed.

It’s a personal journey that takes time and maturity and needn’t be a rebellion against your parents. You can still attend church with them out of respect, while you privately build your own system of understanding how and why we’re here.

My wife recently started cooking bacon, multiple pounds at a time, in the oven.

This makes our entire house stink of bacon. I've asked her to turn the exhaust fan onto high but she refuses, saying it's "too noisy."

So when she's baking bacon, I open the windows and turn on a fan, letting in fresh air to mitigate the nauseating smell.

I'm trying to avoid our home and everything inside - furniture, drapes, carpets, clothes, etc. - being permeated with the stench.

She then takes great offence and yells at me.  Am I being unreasonable?

Stunk Out

Yes. You’re both unreasonable, and unbelievable.

Either this is your “let’s test Ellie” fake problem, or you two are in The Bacon Battle to end your marriage.

No one eats “multiple pounds” of bacon without risking obesity and heart disease.

The stench isn’t the problem, so much as the message.

Get to counselling together, or see a lawyer on your own.