Some people have problems that require delicate advice from a qualified professional. Others just need a random a guy on the internet to kick 'em in the teeth (with honesty, that is). I'm the latter. Welcome back to Tough Love.

Some people have problems that require delicate advice from a qualified professional. Others just need a random a guy on the internet to kick 'em in the teeth (with honesty, that is). I'm the latter. Welcome back to Tough Love.

What is love (baby don't hurt me)? It's a tough question to answer and people have been asking it since the dawn of civilisation. Perhaps the best way to identify love is to learn what it's not. This beyond-hokey instructional video from 1950 actually helps draw a clearer line between love and infatuation.

You have problems, I have advice. This advice isn't sugar-coated - in fact, it's sugar-free, and may even be a little bitter. Welcome to Tough Love.

Love is a complex and powerful force, one that plays out in a number of emotional, cognitive and social ways. According to the late psychologist John Alan Lee, there are six broad styles of love: Agape, Ludus, Storge, Eros, Mania and Pragma. We look at each in turn to help you determine the type of lover you are and the type of lover you need.

If you've been on the dating scene for what feels like forever and you're starting to feel frustrated and disillusioned with it all, it might be time to take a step back and do a little re-calibrating. We project how we feel to others; people can sense your negative outlook from a mile away, which ruins any chance of things working out. It seems counter-intuitive, but the more you act like things are never going to work out, the longer you'll probably be alone.

You have problems, I have advice. This advice isn't sugar-coated - in fact, it's sugar-free, and may even be a little bitter. Welcome to Tough Love.

Following three years of more or less accidental celibacy, I made a vow to go on two dates a week, every week. I'm not a psychologist, but at this point, I am pretty much an expert on first dates. And (not to brag) but I usually get asked out again.

It seems the "summer fling" is a real thing. According to data from the online dating service OkCupid, now's the time most people are looking for one-night stands.

We're all looking for different things on first dates, especially those arranged via dating apps rather than through a wise village matchmaker. Maybe you're just trying to hook up. Maybe you want true love. Maybe you want something in between -- like a sex friend, who will feed your cats while you're on holiday. Whatever it is, I think we can agree that making a good first impression is important.

"Lately I've been feeling a bit hopeless about finding love," writes Ask MetaFilter user seraph9, in a post called "Alternatives to Love". "What are your most rewarding, fulfilling, amazing non-romantic experiences or undertakings?" Respondents listed enriching activities that illustrate how much more there is to life than work and romance.

Oh, that awkward question before a big night out. We've all either asked or been asked "Do I look OK?" or "How do I look?" at some point in our lives. For many, it's a simple call for a confidence boost. For others, it's an actual question. What should we say?

People like food, and people might like you more if you mention the right foods in your dating profile. According to data from one of the largest dating sites out there, these are the foods you should mention, and the ones you should avoid talking about.

Have you ever had a moment of connection with a stranger? I'm not talking about a romantic or sexual connection (though those are nice too), but more of a quick smile as you pass on the street, or a one-off joke shared while waiting in the grocery-store line, or some other brief, shared experience that made you feel that stranger was actually special and could have, in other circumstances, been a friend? I love those moments, which are few and far between, because they make me feel like the universe of potential friends is bigger than I'd thought. I've always wondered why those moments happen - why they happen with one person and not another, or at one time and not another.

In a recent issue of Archie spinoff Jughead, the comic's title character falls in like with a girl. Jughead has canonically identified as asexual, so he's shocked and confused. He doesn't know what this girl looks like; he's only seen her dressed as a giant cheeseburger. So his friend Betty urges him to make a move - but a polite, respectful one. And for a young woman on the wrong end of a love triangle over a ginger, Betty has great advice.

For as much as everyone wants to fall in love (and get laid), first dates have a pretty bad rap. Probably because they're such a high-risk, high-reward proposition; they have the potential to either fill your life with magic or make you regret ever leaving the house. There's no way to guarantee chemistry (or even basic human courtesy) between you and your first date, but you can at least plan a good location to find out if you hate each other.

Dear Lovehacker, I moved to a new city recently and don't know anyone locally. Do you have some advice on how to meet new people? (I'm single and looking!)

You have problems, I have advice. This advice isn't sugar-coated -- in fact, it's sugar-free, and may even be a little bitter. Welcome to Tough Love.

Dear Lovehacker, What is the best course of action when a colleague confesses their love to you? I'm not interested in them in that way and just don't feel the attraction. But I still have to work with them. Help!