The Royal Penthouse Suite: Dating, Sex and Love in the New Era of Emotional Intelligence

I'm thinking. I'm thinking. Give me a second. Ok what was your question again? What's a dating-type "situation" that I have not personally experienced? That's a good question. Let me ask you, by "situation," do you mean like: "Single and lonely?" Absolutely I've been in that boat. How about: "Overloaded, overwhelmed and dumbfounded with too many casual sex options?" Yes. And that time frame was so surreal the whole time it was happening. Or: Have I been completely head over heels in love? You bet Another Situation: Married in a small chapel? I sure was. Have I participated within every angle of the cheating triangle? That would a triple yes. 1- I've cheated on a girlfriend; 2- Been cheated on by my girlfriend; 3- I've been the "side-guy" to a woman cheating in her relationship. What else? I've been in that early dating stage when I really, really liked someone and she just plain didn't like me back. I've been placed unceremoniously into "the friend zone" which is torture because I still "get to be around" someone I deeply like, and I have to pretend like I don't like them so much.Have I done any online dating? Tons - on all kinds of different sites & apps. From those sites, the dates ranged from beyond excellent to boring as hell, to a full-fledged stalker to everything in-between.Let's see I've: Been catfished. Stood-up. I've hooked up. Picked up. I've dated women I met in bars, clubs, back-yard cookouts, corporate meetings, academic conferences. All of that.I appreciate you asking. Because sometimes I've thought to myself: What the hell was all of that? Why did the universe expose me to such a full spectrum of dating, sexual, and romantic situations? Maybe we're about to find out. And since we're on the subject of "situations," I've had endless discussions with female and male friends about their unique encounters as well. I feel like I have lived through some of their experiences. Truth is, we're all trying to navigate the rough sea waters of relationships. I can only see this from my heterosexual perspective, but I'm guessing that this is the same roller coaster all humans ride when we all seek companionship, regardless of who we pursue in sex or love. Personally, I try to think about what's behind all these dating, sexual, and romance stories. Meaning, how does society condone some of my behavior, while judging other parts of it? There are so many double standards. Also, so many people that judge themselves for their actions, or lack of actions. It all leads to confusion at the least. Heartbreak at the worst. So many people searching for love, or at least to make themselves "feel better about themselves."Maybe, just maybe, my experiences and those of my friends, and all the resulting conversations, were meant to be shared and discussed. This is book 3 of 4 in a series on emotional intelligence. It is a discussion point on precisely how we can be more self-aware of the societal pressures and internal struggles that surround us during our quests for love and affection. And these discussions aren't easy. There are so many harsh realities of egos, long-standing societal-constructs, and childhood traumas buried deep beneath our actions. We can share steamy-sex and funny-dating stories all day, but can we dig hard on how they impact us emotionally?Here's to those venturing into the early stages of dating someone brand new. Here's a toast to those currently at the hotel front desk, getting their room keys for the Suites of Casual Sex Relationships. Raise your glass for those in the established communities of long-term relationships who need more knowledge-of-self than any of us.Cheers.