"you look good." these are words that ex-lovers say to each other. in movies (and in life), when ex-relationshippers meet each other, seventy percent of the time they lead with the "you look good" line. um, why? i can't figure it out. maybe they really are commenting on the fact that their ex looks good -- or maybe even better than before -- but i feel like the motivation behind this comment is really just reassurance. like "you look good (and i want you to think that you're still an attractive individual, even though i'm so flipping happy we broke up and it would not pain me to never see you again)." this greeting has become the throwaway "hello, how are you?" between exes. it's so weird don't you think?



i can understand old friends saying this line, because they are honestly saying what they feel -- for the most part. but between exes, it's like you want to throw each other a compliment to start things off on the right foot, so even if they look like shit, you say "you look good." and what can the other person say back? "you look good too." sure it might be fun to be flirty and teasingly say "well, you look like shit," but if they really looked like shit, you wouldn't say anything at all. if your ex looked like shit you might hold off on the "you look good" and wait until you got home to tell all your friends that "i saw billy today, he looked like total shit, and i mean like total utter shit. he said i looked good though."



i think what "you look good" really says is that two people have nothing to say to each other aside from platitudes. notice however that the timely use of a "you look good" could be a positive. use it in mid-conversation, with a dramatic pause and an arm touch and it's almost an invitation. the duplicitous nature of the "you look good" comment, watch out now.