[David Sklansky]

Upon further reflection, I realized I was too hasty in disagreeing with Hobbe's wife regarding whether guys who pretend to befriend girls, hoping to eventually have sex with them, are "snakes in the grass". My gut reaction to that statement was clouded by the knowledge that I had to do just that to produce a great all around moderator for these forums.

Actually in most cases she is right. In fact I know of at least one such case personally. He is inept with girls and thus resorts to this dishonest, sometimes successful ruse. And when he succeeds and moves on, the girl is pretty devastated.

But I can think of two types of exceptions. One is where the girl has it coming. Because she toys with nice man and sleeps with jerks as in the movie Of Human Bondage. Whether Hobbe's wife would admit that this is an exception, I don't know.

But I'm sure she would agree the second type of exception is OK. Namely when the guy really and truly likes her and is hoping for a serious relationship. He chooses the friends route only because nothing else works. And the fact is that he DOES want to be her friend, among other things. He gives up the friendship eventually if he can't get more, not because he doesn't feel friendly toward her but because it is too painful to deal with her every day on that basis. Given he actually likes the girl a lot more than the guys she is "seeing" (I love that euphamism), this last ditch "ploy is justified. Right Mrs. Hobbe's?