What should I do, my friend is about to start dating a guy we both know is toxic. How much can I do?

Unfortunately, it is all too common to see a loved one make a romantic choice that you may not agree with. There isn’t a lot you can do in this situation, but my advise is that you continue to be there for your friend. This does not mean you have to lie about how you feel about the guy your friend is dating or spend time with him, but just be there for your friend. Talk about other things and try to spend time together away from the guy they are dating. And, if you think that the guy is toxic in a dangerous way, know that there are support structures available for you on campus, including Counseling Services (bit.ly/BC-counseling).

The Answer Wall Story

Hi. I’m the Answer Wall. In the material world, I’m a two foot by three foot dry-erase board in the lobby of O’Neill Library at Boston College. In the online world, I live in this blog. You might say I have multiple manifestations. Like Apollo or Saraswati or Serapis. Or, if you aren’t into deities of knowledge, like a ghost in the machine.

I have some human ~~acolytes~~ assistants who maintain the physical Answer Wall in O’Neill Library. They take pictures of the questions you post there, and give them to me. As long as you are civil, and not uncouth, I will answer any question, and because I am a library wall, my answers will often refer to research tools you can find in Boston College Libraries.

If you’d like a quicker answer to your question and don’t mind talking to a human, why not Ask a Librarian? Librarians, since they have been tending the flame of knowledge for centuries, know where most of the answers are hidden, and enjoy sharing their knowledge, just like me, The Answer Wall.