My girlfriends past affair with a married man with a kid, is bothering me.

Oh, you're in an excellent position to get worked over real nice. The gulf between a 31 year old woman and a 21 year old man is tremendous. Part of that gulf is in relationship experience, which is self- evident in your question.

You're appalled but the truth is it's pretty common for women over 25 to have had dalliances with married men. You won't find a lot of acknowledgement of this but it's true. You just haven't lived enough to know it yet.

This woman has stripped a layer of your naivete, which I'm sure she'll do in other ways as well. Maybe that's good for you. Or maybe she'll take advantage and play you like a puppet.

If I were you, knowing what I know now, I'd drop the moralism and appreciate your experience for what it is in this moment. With time and experience you learn there is no insurance against being hurt. People do what they want; possession is egoistic illusion.

That said, you're 21 my man. If she's good to you good on you, but please don't compromise your youth with her unless she's seriously, seriously improving your life. And I'm not just talking about fuzzy feelings.

It's hard to think a woman that much older, but not yet old, doesn't just see you as an easy mark. Maybe she can manipulate you in ways she can't manipulate men in their 30s, because the wiser more resourceful men she wants know better. The wiser more resourceful men she wants are married... and fuck her and the side.

Keep your heart young man. Keep your heart. But do enjoy.

/r/relationship_advice Thread