Article: A jealous friend may try to look supportive by giving you compliments. However, their jealousy will show through because the compliments may come off the wrong way. If you pay attention to certain compliments, you may noticed passive aggressive put downs. These types of compliments can indicate jealousy. For example, a friend may find a way to make it sound like they're complimenting you, but work in an insult. Say you get a new job. A backhanded compliment may be something along the lines of, "That's great. They don't usually hire people with so little experience, but good for you." A jealous friend likely feels bad about themselves. Therefore, they are eager to downgrade the achievements of those around them. If you experience good news, your friend may look for something negative to say or a way to make you seem undeserving. For example, say you get an "A" on a paper. A jealous friend may say something like, "Don't get ahead of yourself. We still have half the semester to go, so I wouldn't get too confident yet." Along with diminishing your achievement, some jealous friends may even go one step further and make comments that upstage any achievements you have. These friends may make comments that put emphasis that they somehow have gotten something bigger and better than your own achievement. For example, "I remember that tough calculus class I took. It was much harder than this class and I got "A's" on all of my assignments and tests. I had the highest G.P.A in class." Secure friends celebrate one another's achievements. While other friends may give an enthusiastic congratulations if something goes well for you, a jealous friend will react differently. They may say something curt like, "Ok. Cool." It will not sound like a sincere or excited congratulations. A jealous friend may start to pull away from you. If they are experiencing jealousy, they may see your success as representing what they don't have. You may notice a jealous friend slowly pulling away. A friend you once saw often may claim to be "really busy" and constantly make excuses not to see you. You may notice your friend makes time for other people in your social circle, but rarely has time for you anymore. A jealous friend will get tired of hearing about your success. You may notice your friend seems disengaged when you talk about things like your job, school, or a new relationship. They may look away, play on their phone, and not make comments or ask questions about your life.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Watch out for backhanded compliments. See if your friend diminishes your achievements. Notice a lack of overall encouragement. See if your friend is pulling away. Pay attention to whether your friend listens.
Article: If your dog appears to be itching itself more than normal but you're unsure whether it has sarcoptic mange, this simple test can help. To start, take one of your dog's ears gently in your hand. Hold the loose, floppy part of the ear between your thumb and index finger. If you're worried about the possibility of getting bitten by your dog's mange-causing mites, you may want to wear disposable gloves for this test. Use your thumb and index finger to rub the dog's ear from both sides. Use slow, steady movements and don't squeeze too tightly. While you do this, keep your eyes on the dog's hind leg on the same side as the ear you're rubbing. You're looking for a movement in the dog's hind leg like it's trying to reach up to scratch its ear. If you see this, your dog may have sarcoptic mange. In this case, you should wash your hands and take the dog to a veterinarian at your earliest convenience. This test (called the pinnal-pedal reflex test) works because, in the vast majority of sarcoptic mange cases, mites are present in and around the dog's ears. When you rub the dog's ear, it feels the irritating itching sensation caused by the mites and tries to scratch itself. While the test does confirm your dog is itchy and sensitized, it does not confirm the cause. Sarcoptic mange can be very difficult to definitively diagnose. The pinnal-pedal test may lead to a presumptive diagnosis of scabies, in which case treatment should begin as soon as possible. If your dog responds to the therapy promptly, that is considered confirmation of the diagnosis.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Grab hold of one of the dog's ears. Gently rub the ear between your fingers. Look for an itching motion. Note that the pinnal-pedal reflex test does not give a definitive diagnosis of sarcoptic mange.
Article: Going on a date isn't like meeting people in other situations...there are all sorts of things that tend to make you extra nervous! Admitting that you're nervous on a first date or even just around someone new can be a great icebreaker. They're probably nervous too, so just vocalizing what you're both thinking can really ease the tension. Look at them, really look them over, and notice things about what they're wearing or how they're acting. Notice how they talk. Their accent. Look for if they're wearing something particularly nice, unique, or handmade-looking. Comment on these things that you notice. By letting them know that it's okay to talk to you and ask you questions, you can really help break the ice in your budding relationship. Say something like "If you have anything you want to ask me, go ahead." You can even give them more guidance. For example, "If you want to ask about my wooden leg, it's okay. I can talk about it." There's something to be said for just saying what you're thinking when it comes to the matters of the heart. If you see someone that you'd like to get to know better and then date, you can just tell them that. For some people it will be a turn off, but for most (especially the attractive ones) a break from all the games will be a nice breath of fresh air. Say something like, "I'm sorry, I saw you from across the room and I kind of felt like the air got punched out of my lungs. I just had to introduce myself or I'd never forgive myself." If they have a somewhat unusual name (old fashioned, ethnic, anything other than the standard Sarah/John), then comment on and ask them about their name. You can ask if they were named after someone, how their parents chose the name, and if they like their name, etc. The sneakiest and yet one of the most effective ways to break the ice with someone you don't know yet is to ask them to settle a bet for you. For example, say something like, "My buddy says this shirt makes me look like Bill Cosby during his blue period. What do you think?" or "All my friends say that guys won't go anywhere near girls with short hair. What do you think?"
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Admit you're nervous. Notice and comment on something about them. Ask them to ask you something. Be blunt. Comment on their name. Ask them to settle a bet.