>It always baffles me how people assign sole responsibility in
>these situations to one party. Some people purposely keep that
>unrequited love around like a groupie, just someone there to
>validate and lean on.

If someone leads someone else on, I agree. But if scout has made it clear that friendship is all that's on the cards, then I think that's enough.

I’ve seen- and, unfortunately, played
>both parts this play in my day- many occasions where the
>object of affection gives just enough hope to string along the
>unrequited party indefinitely.

I wouldn't clap to that either.

Very few people are open,
>honest and consistently clear in their boundaries that these
>situations don’t wind up with both sides contributing to the
>eventual mess.

That's true, and is a big disclaimer to what I'm talking about here.

>Often enough, one person won’t give up the
>ghost while the other strives to keep the ball in play just
>enough to soak up some adoration and validation.



>
>I have a hard time seeing any
>
>of them as victims, but I have equal difficulty viewing either
>as an innocent party. In a situation where one person is
>crystal clear, doesn’t court added affection, doesn’t
>throw out mixed signals, doesn’t try to do cute shit like
>cuddle or sleep in the same bed or whatever, and the other
>keeps putting in that bid? I agree completely. The simple fact
>though is that plenty of people play the game and pull an awe
>shux, WHO ME? when their card is pulled.
>

It's not cut and dried depending on the situation, that's for sure.