If you came of age in the 80s or 90s, your education in romance likely came from John Hughes movies, sitcoms with laugh tracks, and epic power ballads. It was a time of mixtapes, waiting by the phone, and grand, dramatic gestures. At the time, it all seemed so romantic. Now, however, we’re realizing it may have been terrible training for the real world.
In reality, the cultural scripts we learned about love and dating were often dysfunctional, as they taught us to prioritize drama over stability and games over honesty. Consequently, for many Gen X-ers and older millennials, these lessons have led to a lifetime of frustrating relationship patterns. Here are seven terrible 80s and 90s relationship habits we need to unlearn.
