Which country has the best food?

We love to write about food. We love to celebrate the good stuff and lambaste the bad. This is our take on some of the best food cultures, but of course it's subjective. It's time to find out once and for all, which cuisine is king.

1. Italy
Italian food has enslaved tastebuds around the globe for centuries, with its zesty tomato sauces, those clever things they do with wheat flour and desserts that are basically vehicles for cream. It's all so simple. Get some noodles, get some olive oil, get some garlic, maybe a tomato or a slice of bacon. Bam, you have a party on a plate. And it is all so easy to cook and eat. From the cheesy risottos to the crisp fried meats, Italian cuisine is a compendium of crowd-pleasing comfort food. Many people have welcomed it into their homes, especially novice cooks. Therein lies the real genius -- Italian food has become everyman's food.
Yum
Ragu alla bolognese (spaghetti bolognaise) -- the world's go-to "can't decide what to have" food.
Pizza -- mind-bogglingly simple yet satisfying dish. Staple diet of bachelors and college students.
Italian-style salami -- second only to cigarettes as a source of addiction.
Coffee -- cappuccino is for breakfast? Forget it. We want it all day and all night.
Dumb
Buffalo mozzarella -- those balls of spongy, off-white, subtly flavored cheeses of water buffalo milk. The flavor's so subtle you have to imagine it.
2. China
The people who greet each other with "Have you eaten yet?" are arguably the most food-obsessed in the world. Food has been a form of escapism for the Chinese throughout its tumultuous history. The Chinese entrepreneurial spirit and appreciation for the finer points of frugality -- the folks are cheap, crafty and food-crazed -- results in one of the bravest tribes of eaters in the world. But the Chinese don't just cook and sell anything, they also make it taste great. China is the place to go to get food shock a dozen times a day. "You can eat that?" will become the intrepid food traveler's daily refrain. China's regional cuisines are so varied it's hard to believe they're from the same nation. It's not a food culture you can easily summarize, except to say you'll invariably want seconds.
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Sweet and sour pork -- a guilty pleasure that has taken on different forms.
Dim sum -- a grand tradition from Hong Kong to New York.
Roast suckling pig and Peking duck -- wonders of different styles of ovens adopted by Chinese chefs.
Xiaolongbao -- incredible soup-filled surprises. How do they get that dumpling skin to hold all that hot broth?
Dumb
Shark's fin soup -- rallying for Chinese restaurants to ban the dish has been a pet issue of green campaigners in recent years.
3. France
If you're one of those people who doesn't like to eat because "there's more to life than food" -- visit Paris. It's a city notorious for its curmudgeonly denizens, but they all believe in the importance of good food. Two-hour lunch breaks for three-course meals are de rigeur. Entire two-week vacations are centered on exploring combinations of wines and cheeses around the country. Down-to-earth cooking will surprise those who thought of the French as the world's food snobs (it is the birthplace of the Michelin Guide after all). Cassoulet, pot au feu, steak frites are revelatory when had in the right bistro.
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Escargot -- credit the French for turning slimey, garden-dwelling pests into a delicacy. Massive respect for making them taste amazing too.
Macarons -- like unicorn food. In fact anything from a patisserie in France seems to have been conjured out of sugar, fairy dust and the dinner wishes of little girls.
Baguette -- the first and last thing that you'll want to eat in France. The first bite is transformational; the last will be full of longing.
Dumb
Foie gras -- it tastes like 10,000 ducks roasted in butter then reduced to a velvet pudding, but some animal advocates decry the cruelty of force-feeding fowl to fatten their livers.
4. Spain
Let's eat and drink, then sleep, then work for two hours, then eat and drink. Viva Espana, that country whose hedonistic food culture we all secretly wish was our own. All that bar-hopping and tapas-eating, the minimal working, the 9 p.m. dinners, the endless porron challenges -- this is a culture based on, around and sometimes even inside food. The Spaniards gourmandize the way they flamenco dance, with unbridled passion. They munch on snacks throughout the day with intervals of big meals. From the fruits of the Mediterranean Sea to the spoils of the Pyrenees, from the saffron and cumin notes of the Moors to the insane molecular experiments of Ferran Adria, Spanish food is timeless yet avant garde.
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Jamon Iberico -- a whole cured ham hock usually carved by clamping it down in a wooden stand like some medieval ritual.
Churros -- the world's best version of sweet fried dough.
Dumb
Gazpacho -- it's refreshing and all, but it's basically liquid salad.
5. Japan
Japanese apply the same precision to their food as they do to their engineering. This is the place that spawned tyrannical sushi masters and ramen bullies who make their staff and customers tremble with a glare. You can get a lavish multi-course kaiseki meal that presents the seasons in a spread of visual and culinary poetry. Or grab a seat at a revolving sushi conveyor for a solo feast. Or pick up something random and previously unknown in your gastronomic lexicon from the refrigerated shelves of a convenience store. It's impossible to eat badly in Japan.
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Miso soup -- showcases some of the fundamental flavors of Japanese food, simple and wholesome.
Sushi and sashimi -- who knew that raw fish on rice could become so popular?
Tempura -- the perfection of deep-frying. Never greasy, the batter is thin and light like a crisp tissue.
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Fugu -- is anything really that delicious that it's worth risking your life to eat? The poisonous blowfish recently killed diners in Egypt, but is becoming more available in Japan.
6. India
When a cuisine uses spices in such abundance that the meat and vegetables seem like an afterthought, you know you're dealing with cooks dedicated to flavor. There are no rules for spice usage as long as it results in something delicious. The same spice can add zest to savory and sweet dishes, or can sometimes be eaten on its own -- fennel seed is enjoyed as a breath-freshening digestive aid at the end of meals. And any country that manages to make vegetarian food taste consistently great certainly deserves some kind of Nobel prize. The regional varieties are vast. There's Goa's seafood, there's the wazwan of Kashmir and there's the coconutty richness of Kerala.
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Dal -- India has managed to make boiled lentils exciting.
Dosa -- a pancake filled with anything from cheese to spicy vegetables, perfect for lunch or dinner.
Chai -- not everyone likes coffee and not everyone likes plain tea, but it's hard to resist chai.
Dumb
Balti chicken -- an invention for the British palate, should probably have died out with colonialism.
7. Greece
Traveling and eating in Greece feels like a glossy magazine spread come to life, but without the Photoshopping. Like the blue seas and white buildings, the kalamata olives, feta cheese, the colorful salads and roast meats are all postcard perfect by default. The secret? Lashings of glistening olive oil. Gift of the gods, olive oil is arguably Greece's greatest export, influencing the way people around the world think about food and nutritional health. Eating in Greece is also a way of consuming history. A bite of dolma or a slurp of lentil soup gives a small taste of life in ancient Greece, when they were invented.
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Olive oil -- drizzled on other food, or soaked up by bread, is almost as varied as wine in its flavors.
Spanakopita -- makes spinach palatable with its feta cheese mixture and flaky pastry cover.
Gyros -- late-night drunk eating wouldn't be the same without the pita bread sandwich of roast meat and tzatziki.
Dumb
Lachanorizo -- basically cabbage and onion cooked to death then mixed with rice. Filling, but one-dimensional.
8. Thailand
Street eats are a Thai attraction. Flip through a Thai cook book and you'll be hard pressed to find an ingredient list that doesn't run a page long. The combination of so many herbs and spices in each dish produces complex flavors that somehow come together like orchestral music. Thais fit spicy, sour, salty, sweet, chewy, crunchy and slippery into one dish. With influences from China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar and a royal culinary tradition, Thai cuisine is the best of many worlds. The best part about eating Thai food in Thailand though is the hospitality. Sun, beach, service with a smile and a plastic bag full of som tam -- that's the good life.
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Tom yam kung -- a rave party for the mouth. The floral notes of lemongrass, the earthy galangal, freshness of kaffir lime leaves and the heat of the chilies.
Massaman curry -- a Thai curry with Islamic roots. Topped our list of the world's 50 most delicious foods.
Som tam -- the popular green papaya salad is sour, extra spicy, sweet and salty. It's the best of Thai tastes.
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Pla som -- a fermented fish eaten uncooked is popular in Lawa, Thailand and reported to be responsible for bile duct cancer.
9. Mexico
If you were only allowed to eat one type of food for the rest of your life, it would be smart to make it Mexican. The cuisine of the Mesoamerican country has a little bit of everything -- you'll never get bored. Amongst the enchiladas and the tacos and the helados and the quesadillas you'll find the zestiness of Greek salads and the richness of an Indian curry; the heat of Thai food and the use-your-hands snackiness of tapas. It is also central station for nutritional superfoods. All that avocado, tomato, lime and garlic with beans and chocolates and chilies to boot, is rich with antioxidants and good healthful things. It doesn't taste healthy though. It tastes like a fiesta in your mouth.
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Mole -- ancient sauce made of chili peppers, spices, chocolate and magic incantations.
Tacos al pastor -- the spit-roast pork taco, a blend of the pre- and post-Colombian.
Tamales -- an ancient Mayan food of masa cooked in a leaf wrapping.
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Tostadas -- basically the same as a taco or burrito but served in a crispy fried tortilla which breaks into pieces as soon as you bite into it. Impossible to eat.
10. United States
This may be because most of the popular American foods originate in some other country. The pizza slice is Italian. Fries are Belgium or Dutch. Hamburgers and frankfurters? Likely German. But in the kitchens of the United States, they have been improved and added to, to become global icons for food lovers everywhere. Don't neglect the homegrown dishes either. There's the traditional stuff like clam chowder, key lime pie and Cobb salad, and most importantly the locavore movement of modern American food started by Alice Waters. This promotion of eco-awareness in food culture is carried on today by Michelle Obama.
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Cheeseburger -- a perfect example of making good things greater.
Chocolate chip cookie -- the world would be a little less habitable without this Americana classic.
Dumb
All overly processed foods such as Twinkies, Hostess cakes and KFC.

The 10 Hottest Words to Say to a Naked Woman

Consider this your crash course in aural arousal

Your words can be a powerful aphrodisiac for your partner—a way to tap into her desire, any time of day.
And there are some that work for almost every woman out there: “Words that help her feel wanted, desired, and sexy are going to usually universally trigger women,” says Jaiya, a sex educator and author of Cuffed, Tied, and Satisfied: A Kinky Guide to the Best Sex Ever. “They go from their ears down to their genitals,” she says.
Ready to memorize her sexual dictionary? Read on to start learning her language.
1. “YES.”
Most women don’t want a yes man—i.e., a pushover—but they do love a guy who knows what he wants.
“We’re attracted to men who are certain and decisive,” says DeAnna Lorraine, a Los Angeles-based dating coach. “When a man speaks like that—‘yes’ or ‘absolutely’—it shows that certainty.”
It also says you’re a guy who’s willing to do what makes her happy, including in the bedroom: “If she lets out a moan and you say, ‘yes,’ it gives her permission to go even deeper into her pleasure,” says Jaiya. “It helps her let go.”
2. “JESSICA.”
No, don’t call every woman Jessica. But yell (or whisper) your partner’s name when you’re in the throes of passion.
“Female pleasure is narcissistic,” says Jaiya. “Hearing her name makes her feel special. It’s about her, like, you’re the irresistible one. You’re the one with the magic hoo-hoo. It’s not about someone random.”
In other words, tacking on her name is a dynamite way to reassure her that she prompted your pleasure, not some fantasy woman in your head.
3. “LOVE.”
“I love you” isn’t the only way to drop the “L” word—simply saying you love a specific part of her body will effortlessly ignite her desire.
“The connotation of ‘love’ is intense and special,” says Arlene Goldman, Ph.D., a sex therapist in Philadelphia and author of Secrets of Sexual Ecstasy. “’I like the way you look’ is lukewarm, but ‘I love the way you look’ sounds very positive and passionate.”
4. “TIGHT.”
There is no-fail way to use this word in reference to her vagina.
It is especially powerful in the sack, because “every woman wants to feel like she’s virgin-esque to her man,” explains Lorraine. “It’s assurance that she’s making her man feel good and he’s aroused.”
Read: You’re not only complimenting the youthfulness of her body—you’re also letting her know that she’s playing a potent role in your pleasure. “Actually describe to her how good she feels inside,” suggests Jaiya.
5. “WET.”
Whereas everyone can see your erection, only you can detect her lubrication. “That’s a very intimate thing—you’re both in on the secret, that she’s turned on by you,” says Lorraine.
Even referencing her wetness before she’s fully aroused can help produce the desired response: “The brain sometimes doesn’t know the difference between what is real and what isn’t,” says Jaiya. “When you tell a woman, ‘You’re getting so wet,’ her body will respond.”
6. “YOU.”
Emphasize the woman—not the act. If you say, “You really turn me on,” you’re giving props specifically to your partner, says Goldman, but if you say, “I’m really turned on,” you’re just focusing on your own sexual experience.
“She wants to know that there’s something about her that is arousing to you,” Goldman explains. Or as Jaiya puts it, “Tell her how she’s affecting you. That lets a woman know she is desired.”
7. “COCK.”
During couples counseling sessions, Jaiya reads off a list of erotic words, and asks the woman to raise her hand with one in particular that arouses her. What she consistently finds: Females choose “cock” over “penis,” “prick,” or “dick.”
“Dick is more derogatory, like, ‘He’s a dick,’ or it’s a joke word,” she says. “But cock is very strong and masculine.”
To preserve its erotic power, avoid using “cock” in everyday chit-chat with your partner—save it for your most intimate moments, Lorraine advises. That way, “it’s a little taboo and X-rated,” she says.
8. “HOT POCKET.”
No, the microwaveable dinners aren’t the new aphrodisiac—this is a slang term for her vagina, and oddly enough, women love it. When Jaiya does the sexual trigger words exercise with couples, “almost everyone will raise their hands on hot pocket,” she says.
Lesson learned: “If your woman has a sense of humor, don’t be afraid of funny words.” Coining sexual catchphrases that make you laugh can actually be an act of intimacy—a shared joke that only the two of you are in on, says Jaiya.
9. “NEED.”
In case you haven’t watched Fifty Shades of Grey, let us catch you up: Women want to be wanted—and they don’t want you to be shy about it.
“We want to know you’re going crazy for us,” says Lorraine.
So start verbalizing your desire by saying, “I need you so bad.” Hint: Save this one for times when you’re mutually starved for sex, like when you’ve been away on a business trip. That way, your desire doesn’t feel like a demand.
10. “COME.”
It’s perhaps the only word that simultaneously conveys desire, pleasure, orgasm, and loss of control, according to a recent paper in Sexuality & Culture. And that’s exactly why it’s so packed with erotic potential.
But before you spout off, “I want to make you come,” make sure you’ve actually done so in the past—otherwise the word may just make her feel pressured to perform, says Lorraine. (Likewise, if your partner is rarely able to climax, this shouldn’t be your go-to line.)
You can even try a little reverse psychology: “Play with orgasm control, like ‘You’re not allowed to come,’” says Jaiya. “Playing with that word within a power dynamic can be really hot.”

Your Preferred Style Of Kissing Can Reveal A Lot About Your Relationship

The way you kiss your partner can reveal a lot of things about your relationship. You can deny all you want but according to Sheril Kirshenbaum, author of the book The Science of Kissing: What Our Lips Are Telling Us, there is a logical explanation as to why we kiss and how it can be telling about our personalities and relationships with other people.

“A kiss really works as nature’s litmus test. It tells us whether we decide to pursue a relationship. This brief kiss is about seeing if there is a spark that might lead to more advanced types of kissing.”
The book lays down the most common kissing styles, with Kirshenbaum presenting insights about what your relationship and personality.
“The Gentle Kiss is one that is all about anticipation. Each person very lightly kisses the other on the lips, not applying very much pressure at all.”
Kissing on the cheek shows that there is a sign of fondness or a show of politeness when you kiss your partner on the cheek. Basically it says ‘I like you’ to the person on the receiving end of the kiss. Romantic feelings may still be present, but one can tell that true friendship is present between the two of you.
“The Angel Kiss is about protection and a sense of security. One person lightly kisses the other on the eyelid while they are sleeping, as a reminder that someone is watching over them.”
For couples who just recently got together, this could be taken as a sign that you are not yet comfortable with each other. Long time couples, however, who engage in the ‘Closed Mouth Kiss’ can indicate signs of “emotional walls” between the two of you. While a kiss is not the sole indicator of the state of your relationship, it can be one of the main reasons why you are happy or unhappy with your partner.
The “Sloppy Kiss” is a kiss that is charged with passion and intimacy. That pretty much sums up the kind of relationship you have with your partner as well. According to Kirshenbaum, “Men tend to express a preference for wet, sloppy, open-mouthed kisses”.

6 Signs She’s Interested In You

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Your Cell Phone Addiction Could Be Killing Your Relationship

New research confirms that your partner hates it when you can’t put your damn phone away. Here’s how to break the habit

Your relationship with your phone could have serious consequences for your actual relationship, a new University of Arizona study suggests.
The researchers surveyed people about their significant others’ smartphone habits. No surprise here: People whose partners were habitually glued to their iPhones were less happy with their relationships, the researchers found.
It’s easy to get hooked on your smartphone. Checking your notifications eases loneliness, boredom, and fear of missing out, says study author Matthew Lapierre, Ph.D.
But using your smartphone all the time may isolate you from your partner and make her feel like she has to compete for your attention, the researchers say.
How do you know if your iPhone habit is actually an addiction?
A telltale sign, Lapierre says, is that you keep scrolling even when you know you should put your phone down. Like when you’re driving, having dinner with your family, or having sex—a recent Harris Interactive survey finds that one in 10 people are guilty of that last one.
Another bad omen: You feel irritable or panicky when your phone dies or isn’t with you, says Edward Hallowell, M.D., a Boston-based psychiatrist and author of Delivered From Distraction.
If that sounds familiar, wean yourself off your phone by designating some data-free time each day, says Dr. Hallowell.
That could mean you turn it off between 9 a.m. and noon at work or during a given activity, like a date or a workout. And of course, every time you get behind the wheel.
Leave it out of sight—in your gym bag, your desk drawer, or your glove box—during these periods. The extra step of getting your phone out and turning it on can help you stop and reconsider whether you really need to use it, he says.
If you can get used to spending an hour at the gym without checking your notifications, you may be able to get through dinner or sex without reaching for your phone. And your partner will definitely appreciate that.

Why 5 Women Cheated On Their Husbands—and How to Avoid the Same Fate

If your relationship is teetering, it might not take much to push her into another bed

The Ashley Madison hack last summer gave men a false sense of security. Once the curtain was pulled back, it very much appeared that millions of men were chasing, like, one willing woman.
How so?
The hack exposed millions of email addresses, most of which reportedly belonged to men.
And the hot women they were anxiously chatting with? Many may have been fictional personas created by the company.
(According to the British tabloid Daily Mail, 40,000 women on the site shared the same six email addresses. Ashley Madison denied the claim.)
But don’t let your guard down.
Of course women cheat—19 percent of them, says Kristen Mark, Ph.D., a sexuality researcher. They just may not cheat for the same reasons you do. And they’re not dumb enough to put personal info on the world’s largest cheating website.
If your relationship is already faltering, here are five reasons she could end up in another man’s bed.
Why She Cheats: Her Age
Marsha, a paralegal in Boston, was everything a man could want in a wife: She was beautiful, intelligent, and funny, not to mention limber because of her devotion to yoga.
But then, as her 40th birthday drew near, she slept with her instructor.
“She felt her looks were fading,” says marriage therapist Paul Hokemeyer, Ph.D. “The affair made her feel more desirable.”
Yes, fine, but every year millions of people get older without getting busy with the teacher after yoga class. So why is Marsha any different?
One theory: A 2014 study suggests we subconsciously attach significance to “nine-ender” years.
When we’re a year away from the odometer rolling over, we become more aware of the passage of time and youth, and we may do stupid things because we think the clock is running out.
What to Do About It
Fill up your calendar. Reflecting on what we have or haven’t achieved over the past decade can lead to bleak thoughts, says quality-of-life researcher Michael Steger, Ph.D.
So, be the man who makes things happen.
“If travel is important, you might plan a birthday trip that satisfies shared goals—like Hawaii if you’ve both wanted to try hiking a volcano.”
Bonus: When her mind’s on molten lava, the last thing she’ll be thinking about is her yoga instructor.
Why She Cheats: The Money
Emily, 35, had every reason to be furious with her husband. After she’d made a few too many purchases on her debit card, he cut up the plastic in front of her in a humiliating power play.
“I had to tell him where I was going and he would give me a spending limit,” she says.
The nice way to describe this: He was trying his best to keep the budget in check—and stepped about five miles over the line.
Problem is, exerting too much financial control, especially when you do it like a condescending jerk, breeds major-league resentment and can push your partner to seek payback, Hokemeyer says.
And that’s exactly what Emily did.
“A few months after that incident,” she says, “I slept with my high school boyfriend.”
What to Do About It
Don’t seize control or point fingers.
Instead, share the financial responsibility by using a budgeting app like Mint, which notifies both of you as spending limits draw near.
This way you’re both accountable for the money going into and coming out of your account.
Why She Cheats: She’s Expecting a Prince
You would hope your wife understands that perfect men don’t exist.
But then there’s “Kyle.”
He writes poems and sends flowers, and he seems so sensitive.
Guys like Kyle make women like Sarah, a 30-year-old dentist in North Carolina, second-guess their marriages.
When people expect perfection in a partner, it usually sets them up for long-term disappointment. That nugget of obvious wisdom came from a 2014 study published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology.
“He made my husband pale in comparison,” Sarah says. “I slept with him because I was convinced he could fill the voids in my life.”
Well, Kyle filled at least one of those voids, and shortly thereafter, Sarah and her husband landed in divorce court.
What to Do About It
You can’t be everything she wants, and you have to be okay with that—and so does she.
But you can become a little better than you are.
The next time you two are squabbling, try this trick: “Fights tend to take place in the past or in the present,” says Jay Heinrichs, author of Thank You for Arguing.
So switch to future tense instead.
“If you’re fighting about who makes dinner, say, ‘I’ll set up a cooking schedule if you’ll agree to eat eggs for dinner,’” he says.
You’ll never be Prince Charming, but at least you’re offering to cook the occasional omelet.
Why She Cheats: She Wants to Be Bad
When her marriage began to fray, Ali, a 25-year-old marketing assistant, found herself in bed with the kind of roughneck guy she’d always avoided.
“When I met him, it seemed inevitable that we’d have sex,” she says.
Whaaaat? Why do smart women consider jumping into bed with knuckle-dragging thugs? Researchers call this phenomenon the “ovulatory shift hypothesis.”
During peak fertility—when ovaries are primed to do the dirty mambo—a rational woman may find herself attracted to men she’d be terrified to see in a dark alley, says Vinita Mehta, Ph.D., the author of an upcoming book on dating and relationships.
It’s not necessarily her fault; it’s our old-school survival instincts.
Masculine genes increase the chances that kids will have a sturdy constitution to survive.
Worse, Mehta says, research shows that her impulse to stray becomes even stronger if you’re less physically attractive by conventional standards.
What to Do About It
Appeal to a more evolved instinct: her brain.
Strength isn’t just about brawn. Demonstrate that you’re educated, successful, self-reliant, and commitment-oriented.
Mehta suggests finding more modern ways to display your plumage. Try sharing experiences that show your strengths—the theater, a museum, a trail hike.
She might think twice about putting her relationship at further risk with a one-night stand.
Why She Cheats: She Just Wants More
Who doesn’t want to be the guy who can’t go out in public without his wife leaning over and whispering, “I’m not wearing panties. Let’s go see if we can find an empty closet.”
But sometimes, in the real world, crazy sex isn’t everything it’s cracked up to be.
That’s how the trouble began for Lisa, a 31-year-old saleswoman. She wanted sex every night and her boyfriend didn’t.
“He only gave it to me once a week. What’d he expect?” she says of her stepping out.
Well, for starters, that you wouldn’t cheat on him. But when sexual expectations don’t match, it can quickly lead to trouble.
What to Do About It
The two biggest reasons women cheat, says sex researcher Debby Herbenick, Ph.D., are that they feel undesired or unattractive, especially as they become older.
Sex is one way to fix it, but another is to appreciate her for who she is, not who you want her to be.
Don’t insult her with meaningless compliments. Listen to her and validate who she really is.

5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Dating a Coworker

Read this before you make a move

When you’re sitting in a cubicle or working the register next to an attractive person all day, every day, it’s almost inevitable that sparks will fly. Not everyone will act on it, but the thought of romancing a hottie at work has probably passed through nearly every employee’s mind.
That’s a relatively normal scenario—people have even coined the term “work husband/wife” to describe the pseudo-romantic friendships that develop in the office. But actually acting on your feelings can be a tricky and somewhat risky situation, personally and professionally.
Still, “bonding over commonalities, whether they’re work-related or cheering for the same sports teams, can be a catalyst to a friendship that sparks into a romantic relationship,” says Michele Kerulis, a clinical therapist, dating and relationships expert, and faculty member of Counseling@Northwestern at Northwestern University. If you’re deciding whether to give it a shot with that cute coworker, ask yourself these questions first before you make a move.
1
If you’re always in the same meetings, working on the same presentations, or commiserating over the same workplace gripes, it’s not difficult to develop a flirty relationship with a coworker. “People can become attracted to each other in the workplace when they see coworkers successfully completing tasks, especially when that task takes a high level of skill,” Kerulis explains.
But there’s a way to tell the difference: When you have just a physical attraction, you think about that person (maybe a lot) when you’re together. However, if you think about the other person often when you are *not* together, you likely have developed an emotional connection, Kerulis says.
2
Because of the aforementioned “rose-colored glasses” you may wear at work, it’s probably a good idea to take a step back and make sure you like this person for who they really are—gold stars and awesome sales number aside.
The good news? Chances are you have seen that person in their natural, authentic state, says dating coach and matchmaker Bonnie Winston—since you’ve seen how they act as they handle pressure, deadlines, and responsibilities. What happens under those fluorescent office lights makes it a lot easier to see someone clearly than when the lights are dim over a glass of wine.
3
This one may be a given, but it’s important to be aware of your HR policy regarding relationships at work, Kerulis points out. Many workplaces advise employees against engaging in romantic relationships with people they supervise, for example.
Law firms are also typically against interoffice relationships, Winston says. If you’re not sure, consult your employee handbook or ask an HR representative. You don’t want a potential encounter to get either one of you in a sticky situation with your company.
4
If entering a relationship might affect your or the other person’s ability to gain respect at work, you may need to re-think it.
“Some co-workers might view the personal relationship in a negative light, which could impact their professional opinion of you,” Kerulis says.
5
If you decide to go for it, be sure to discuss boundaries, Kerulis suggests. Remember, even though it’s a personal relationship, it shouldn’t affect your professional relationship, or your productivity and decision-making at work.
“Set boundaries around discussing personal matters when you are at work and do the same for discussing work issues while at home,” she suggests. Plus, setting these types of healthy boundaries will help you to maintain a good work-life balance as well.

7 Mistakes You're Making in Your Dating Profile

Fix these, and you may get fewer left swipes

We get it—finding love on an online dating site is hard. The algorithms are unreliable. Your matches may be looking for something different than you are.
But there are certain things you can control to up your chances of scoring a date, and it could be as easy as tweaking a line on your profile page. A recent reddit thread garnered thousands of comments when it asked: "What dating profile phrase immediately loses you?"
Here are some of the dating profile mistakes that turned people off the most. If you're currently using any of these, it could be the reason your Tinder profile isn't getting as many right swipes as you think it should. Thankfully, they're easy to fix.
POSTING GROUP PICTURES WITH DOZENS OF OTHER PEOPLE
From JellyfishMermaid: “Not a phrase, but dating profile pictures. When there's multiple people in a photo—like family pictures are okay, but I don't want to try to pick you out from your 30 fraternity brothers. Also tongue sticking out/flipping off the camera. Never 'nope' so fast until I see those.”
SAYING YOU'RE LOOKING FOR SOMEONE WHO KNOWS "HOW TO TAKE A JOKE"
From dtmfadvice: “A friend of mine rejects anyone who says that partners ‘must know how to take a joke’ or some variation on that, because it's a sign their sense of humor is obnoxious or cruel. Maybe their ex couldn't take a joke. But probably they aren't funny and got angry when someone told them to quit being a prick.”
FINDING ROUNDABOUT WAYS TO BRAG ABOUT YOURSELF
From biogirl52: “‘Just a normal, every day gentleman’ Photos of him on a jet ski with a super model. He didn't have a chance with me.”
MENTIONING ANYTHING ABOUT SARCASM
From haelesor: “Any mention of being ‘sarcastic’. 99/100 these guys are just assholes who don't want to be called out on it and try to use ‘I'm sarcastic’ as a get out of trouble free card. Most wouldn't know genuine sarcasm if it bit them on the ass.”
BEING CRYPTIC ABOUT PAST RELATIONSHIPS
From Catty_Pake: “‘Done with drama’ or ‘Not into girls who play games’. You're most likely still bitter about how women have treated you in the past. I'm not going to work extra hard to prove myself to you or deal with a guy who is already leaning towards thinking I'm another shit girlfriend.”
WRITING A BASIC STATEMENT THAT LITERALLY ANYONE COULD AGREE WITH
From mallgothic: “‘I love to listen to music.’ You and every other human being on the planet. iI you can't think of even a broad category of music you prefer over others, then what does that say about how interesting you are? I'd rather someone say they like industrial noise remixed with one direction's best hits and cats meowing than just ‘music’.”
LEAVING YOUR BIO BLANK—OR NOT EVEN ATTEMPTING TO WRITE A DECENT ONE
From accidental_superman: “‘Dating profiles are so hard to write.’ That's all they write. Yes they are but you don't get to play till you do your work.”