Not an actual situation, just throwing the question out there.

Are you allowed to date an ex of a really great friend, or is that ex off limits?

Discuss!

Among my friends, the following occurred. Names have been changed.

Andy and Beth started dating in high school. They were together through most of college. Charlie had been friends with Andy and Beth and our entire circle of friends since high school. Another high school friend in the circle is Dave. Dave's freshman year roommate was Eddie, an out of state pre-med student.

Halfway through college, Eddie meets Fran at a party and they begin dating.

Near the end of college, Andy and Beth broke up. Beth started dating Charlie. Andy, Beth and Charlie all remain good friends, with Andy invited over at least once a week.

After college, Beth and Charlie get married. Andy is still invited over regularly. Eddie and Fran get married. They move a thousand miles east for Eddie's medical school.

Beth and Charlie have their first child. Andy is a frequent babysitter. He enters several relationships, but none last more than a year. Beth and Charlie have a second child. Andy is still babysitting. Dave has relocated to another country.

Eddie and Fran get divorced. Fran moves back to town (family is here). Andy and Fran begin dating. Beth and Fran have similar careers and become close friends.

I meet my wife. She has no connection to the circle of friends from high school. Beth snubs her repeatedly. Fran follows suit.

Andy and Fran get married.

Beth and Charlie have a quick but angry divorce. Custody is joint. Andy remains good friends with both Beth and Charlie.

Musical relationships.

I avoid it? Although that's not saying much as I've never had a girlfriend. I have no idea how my other friends who've actually had girlfriends feel about it. There's a bit of drama for a couple of my rommmate's friends, and their exes. *Shrug*

edit: fixed an apostrophe that implied I have more than one roommate. I do not.

Discuss it with Friend first, and see if it's cool. Really, I suspect it comes down to how Friend and Ex feel about each other. If they are still quasi-friendly, then cool. If sworn enemies, less cool. Bear in mind that the possibility may exist of Friend and Ex rekindling their relationship, which would make things awkward for everyone.

Really, communication is essential here. As long as everyone is on the same page, then things should turn out relatively mostly ok.

Depends on the friends really. Are they close friends? work friends? How bad was the break-up and why did it happen? So many factors to consider. In most cases it is a bad idea.

Depends. I was fine with my best friend in college hooking up with my ex, even though I was kind of not over her. I thought they were a better match than she and I to begin with, and it was perfectly clear that they hadn't started up until well after the breakup. The only reason for me not to approve of them would be pure selfishness.

I think it entirely depends on whether or not it would bother your friend.

As long as the ex did not do anything that bad, that any social contact should be avoided, then you can date them as well.

Some people get the idea, that friends make agreements, who pursues which prey, but i consider that an in principle bad approach and would not have any part in that.

Reliant on too many variables.

Is it okay to hook up with your current partners' ex?

What if that person is also your ex?

Does that perspective make the initial question simpler?

How long ago of an ex? Because I really wouldn't care who dates my ex-boyfriend from 10 years ago.

heh. This one makes me laugh because my wife and I got together about two weeks after she split up from my friend and study partner in university.

It was kind of tough for about 6 months or so between us but when we bumped into each other outside an exam room we pretty much decided it was silly to argue about. Plus, the Baconatrix and I were quite frankly a much better match than they had been (we both agreed on that completely).

He came to our wedding, actually, with his girlfriend that he met a few months after the split. They've been together about 6 months or so less than us, so I guess all is well that ends well for all parties.

A reading from the book of Broxidus, chapter 10, verse 83. "Thus the lord sayth to Barnabus Broses on the last day of the engraving. Thus shall be the one hundred fiftieth and last commandment to be inscribed into the Bro Code... He then thus spoke "Thou shalt have No sex with your Bro's ex. (Unless First that bro granteth thine permission)" Amen."

...

Where can I find such a glorious holy text for mine own?