Latest news with #relationships
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
My Wildest Prediction: The podcast that dares to imagine the future with business visionaries
Stay at the forefront of the ever-changing business world alongside CEOs, tech disruptors, and entrepreneurs as they reveal their boldest predictions that have the potential to transform our world. On My Wildest Prediction, we not only have the courage to forecast the future but also engage in discussions about the pathways to reaching those predictions. Renate Nyborg was Tinder's first female CEO, but she left the popular dating app with a mission to use technology to combat loneliness. She is launching a new app, Meeno, that utilizes AI to help solve relationship problems. She also predicts that the future will involve fewer online dating experiences and more real-life encounters. In this first episode of My Wildest Prediction, Tom Goodwin discusses with Renate Nyborg her boldest predictions on love and chatbots. In a future dominated by driverless cars, will your grandchildren need a driver's license? Alex Roy, a former executive at Argo AI, a U.S. autonomous driving technology company, is also a rally race driver who asserts that autonomous vehicles are inevitable. However, he also argues that human driving will never disappear. How will these two predictions coexist? It's the most wonderful time of the year for retailers. With Christmas around the corner, shopping soars: groceries and drinks for dinners, toys, electronics for gifts, and clothes for events. It seems wild not to believe that capitalism is in perfect health... However, former Greek Minister of Economics Yanis Varoufakis not only believes it's in decline but thinks it's already dead. Who killed it? Well, according to him, Amazon and Alibaba, among others. In an age ruled by incessant screen time and with Pornhub, the colossal streaming pornography platform, valued at $97 billion, it appears audacious to propose that the era of viewing erotic content is drawing to a close. Yet, Caroline Spiegel has a different take. She has pioneered a female-first erotic app that encourages listening to, rather than watching, explicit content, stating, "Imagination is a truly powerful tool." Robots will build everything: our clothes, our food... but they will start by constructing our homes. This is Tesla veteran Russell Varone's wildest prediction. He's already providing a glimpse into this future. Varone is the co-founder and CTO of Diamond Age, a US-based company that has successfully constructed 25 houses using 3D printing and robotic technology. "It's not acceptable for a CEO to simply say, 'Well, I don't do marketing,'" says Ed Fidoe. That's why he is leading at a groundbreaking university aimed at cultivating well-rounded leaders. Fidoe is one of the minds behind the UK's first new university with degree-granting powers since the 1960s—the London Interdisciplinary School (LIS). He argues that specialising alone will fall short in a world grappling with intricate challenges like climate change and AI; instead, one must embrace interdisciplinary skills. In Silicon Valley, some say that the app Superhuman is the next frontier of work. However, its principle is not as futuristic as one might expect; there's no quantum, blockchain, metaverse, or whatever. Instead, it's addressing a very down-to-earth problem: email management. Something that eats away at our time and hampers our productivity. While flying taxis may still sound like science fiction, they are poised to become a reality before the end of the year. Volocopter's drone-shaped electric vehicles are ready to take flight in Paris, coinciding with the 2024 Olympic Games. Dirk Hoke, former CEO of Airbus Defense and Space, spearheads this groundbreaking initiative at Volocopter, a German start-up pioneering the introduction of electric air taxis to the market: the most disruptive revolution in urban mobility since the beginning of the century. Fed up with all the anger and noise on social media? Entrepreneur, futurist and author Dominique Jaurola believes that change is possible through the implementation of new structures for human engagement. Are you interested in trying a wireless headset that allows you to interact with digital devices simply by reading your mind? This isn't science fiction; it was invented over a decade ago by Australian entrepreneur, inventor, and businesswoman Tan Le. Her groundbreaking work in neuroscience has deepened our understanding of the brain's inner workings. Now, she predicts that we will all use neural interfaces in our daily lives, and they will resemble easy-to-wear headphones. Nikolas Badminton's work is the antithesis of mindfulness. He is a futurist and "hope engineer," renowned for delivering talks globally and mentoring high-level executives and government officials for over three decades. Given his expertise, we believe he is the ideal person to delve into discussions about the future and share his bold predictions with us. Audrey Tsang is the CEO of the app Clue. You might be wondering what Clue is, but over 10 million people in more than 190 countries use it religiously to track their periods. Clue is a trailblazer in menstrual health and femtech. In fact, the term was coined by its founder, Ida Tin. Tsang is here to tell us more about this revolution and her predictions for the future of health tech. Rhiannon Jones is a renowned creative and strategic futures specialist, known for her expertise in interpreting trends and formulating impactful strategies for startups and global brands across various sectors, with a specialisation in women's health. She co-founded Ultra Violet Futures with FemTech veteran Anna Butterworth, the first and only future forecasting agency specializing in FemTech and women's and marginalised health innovation. Scott Galloway is a professor of marketing at the NYU Stern School of Business, a best-selling author and an entrepreneur. With his wide expertise, he joins the podcast to share his thoughts on the connection between artificial intelligence (AI), youth and generational wealth. Bruce Daisley is a best-selling author on a mission to make work more enjoyable. Former Vice President of Twitter, Daisley is an expert on the future of work, helping companies improve workplace culture and productivity. In this episode, Daisley brings his fresh perspective to the podcast, offering insights that will resonate with many office employees. If you spend a lot of time in meetings but still feel disconnected from your company, this episode is for you. Nancy Xu is the founder and CEO of Moonhub, a US-based company specialising in AI-driven recruitment solutions. Xu offers a groundbreaking perspective on how AI is, and could, revolutionize the way we work by making the recruitment process less biased. Karoli Hindriks is the founder and CEO of Jobbatical, an Estonian company that helps employees relocate around the world. Hindriks was a key figure in the creation of the digital nomad visa, and she joins the podcast to share her wildest prediction on worker mobility, borders, and the future of passports. Rory Sutherland is the Vice-Chairman of Ogilvy in the United Kingdom, one of the world's most renowned advertising agencies. He is the author of several books among which Alchemy: The Power of Ideas That Do Not Make Sense, and of a fortnightly column in The Spectator. Known for his thought-provoking insights, Rory Sutherland joins My Wildest Prediction, to share his visionary takes on work, the housing crisis and the US economy. Susan Kahn is a business psychologist, a practitioner, and an academic, author of Bounce Back: How to Fail Fast and Be Resilient at Work. She joins My Wildest Prediction to share her boldest views on the future of work. Her conversation with Tom Goodwin revolves around the importance of actively listening in workplaces, being open about professional failures, and being a good leader. Bertrand Piccard can be regarded as the Antoine de Saint-Exupéry of the 21st century. An adventurous explorer, relentless innovator, and visionary, Piccard is a Swiss psychiatrist and aviator. In 1999, he piloted the first balloon to fly around the world non-stop. In 2016, he completed the first global circumnavigation in a solar-powered electric aeroplane. And now, he's leading the Climate Impulse project, working towards the first non-stop, hydrogen-powered flight around the world. Tara Chklovski is the founder and CEO of Technovation, a global non-profit empowering young women to tackle real-world problems through technology and entrepreneurship. Chklovski joins My Wildest Prediction to explain how technology and education can spark positive change in underrepresented communities. David Spiegelhalter is one of the world's most important figures in statistics. He's an emeritus professor of statistics in the Centre for Mathematical Studies at the University of Cambridge and he's the author of The Art of Uncertainty: How to Navigate Chance, Ignorance, Risk and Luck. Spiegelhalter is committed to making mathematics more accessible, and he joins My Wildest Prediction to talk about probabilities, how to deal with uncertainty and artificial intelligence. Dom Price is a work futurist at Atlassian, an American software company based in Sydney, Australia. With experience spanning technology, finance, and gaming, Dom brings a unique perspective to the future of work. As a sought-after media commentator and keynote speaker, he shares his insights on life, and the evolving job landscape, helping individuals and companies rethink their approach to success. Since predicting the future of work is at the core of Dom's mission, we couldn't pass up the opportunity to invite him to My Wildest Prediction. Greg Clark is a highly renowned UK urbanist. He is, among others, chair of the Connected Places Catapult, a board member of Transport for London, and a Chair of Places for London and 3Ci, the City Commission for Climate Investment. Clark is also an author and global advisor who has worked with cities, national governments, and organisations such as the OECD, the Brookings Institution, and the World Bank. Patty McCord is the former chief talent officer at Netflix, where she worked for 14 years. She co-created the Netflix Culture Deck, a presentation laying out the company's values and a document that Sheryl Sandberg once called 'the most important document ever to come out of Silicon Valley'. McCord is the author of Powerful: Building a Culture of Freedom and Responsibility, a best-selling book where she shares advice for leaders who want to build successful teams. Today, Patty McCord joins My Wildest Prediction to tell us her boldest views on the future regarding artificial intelligence (AI). Although many people fear the impact AI could have on society and jobs, Patty McCord is enthusiastic about the AI revolution and shares her thoughts on how it could enhance human creativity. Andrew Yang is a former United States presidential candidate. Founder of the non-profit organisations Humanity Forward and Venture for America, he is committed to the creation of a human-centred economy, and he wants to fix the broken US economy. He is the author of the New York Times bestseller The War on Normal People and helped to introduce the idea of universal basic income into the political mainstream. Today, Andrew Yang joins us on the show to talk about how digital voting could change the US political system.
New York Times
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
She Didn't Give Up on Her YouTube Dream — or on Love
Finding success as a YouTuber can be a dream come true. But it doesn't always lead to a satisfying love life — or so it seemed to Remi Ashten Cruz after building a devoted audience for her takes on everything from dorm décor to snack food. Miss Remi Ashten, the YouTube channel Ms. Cruz, 30, started in 2012, had spawned spinoff channels and podcasts that have won her five million followers across platforms. But finding men whose relationship goals matched her own in Los Angeles while helming various series including 'Pretty Basic,' the podcast she still hosts with her best friend, Alisha Marie McDonal, had been mostly a bust. 'A lot of guys were condescending about my career,' she said, because of its focus on what she called 'girl topics,' like trends and relationships. By the time Cal Robert Parsons, 29, reached out on Hinge in June 2019, she was ready to call it quits on dating altogether. 'I had officially given up,' Ms. Cruz said. She had told Ms. McDonal as much the day her phone pinged with a 'Cal messaged you' notification. 'We had just wrapped an episode, and I told her this guy Cal asked me out on a date,' she said. First, she responded to Mr. Parsons. 'Yeah, sure!' she wrote. 'Then I told my best friend, 'I'm not going on that date.'' Ms. Cruz is from Anaheim Hills, Calif. Her parents weren't thrilled when, in 2013, she told them of her plan to take a year off from college at the University of California, Riverside, where she was studying psychology, to focus on YouTube. She never went back. 'I had so much drive,' she said. 'I was posting every single day. I loved it. I still love it.' Mr. Parsons, 29, knew nothing about her onscreen persona when he asked her out. But 'I thought she was pretty,' he said. And Ms. Cruz's answers to a 'three things you love' question spoke to him. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
New York Times
4 hours ago
- Business
- New York Times
His Four-Legged Wingman Helped to Seal the Deal
As Leland Holt Vittert's plane was taxiing at O'Hare International Airport in May 2021, a college friend, determined to find him a wife in Chicago, texted him. 'Thank you, but no,' replied Mr. Vittert, 42, who was then rebuilding his life in Chicago as a news anchor at NewsNation, then a start-up cable news channel. He had recently left Fox News as a Washington anchor and correspondent, became single and was hospitalized with Covid. Mr. Vittert's friend, undaunted by his lack of enthusiasm, sent him a photo of Rachel Ann Putnam the next day. His friend had teamed up with Ms. Putnam's friend, also on a mission to find her a husband after she became single in October 2020. 'Most of my friends were married and had kids,' said Ms. Putnam, 38, who grew up in Kenilworth, Ill., and attended Lake Forest College in Illinois. She is an owner of OMG Accessories, popular with young girls and teens, which she started in 2010. 'She's really beautiful,' Mr. Vittert recalled thinking when he saw the photo of her at a Chicago Blackhawks hockey game, and before he knew it, he introduced himself. 'Hi Rachel,' he texted. 'Leland here. So I guess people think we should meet.' Ten days later, they did at Avec River North, a Mediterranean restaurant with an extensive wine list. Mr. Vittert, who arrived early, texted her asking what she'd like to drink. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Times
5 hours ago
- Lifestyle
- Times
How to divorce-proof your summer
Yes, yes, isn't it lovely. The sun belting down. All that. But unofficially we're all aware that a hot British summer, an actual 'it's going to hit 30C' summer that doesn't start on a Monday and stop on a Thursday, places strain on the average marriage on a par with those other legendary stress points, Christmas and moving house. Only, the difference with summer marital stress is that it's never acknowledged because there can be no downside to summer in a country that doesn't get much sun. Although now that that looks like it's a thing of the past, there's all the more reason we should get divorce-proofing summer asap. Let's start with the obvious stress points to be aware of: In films, hot summer nights are hot in every sense. IRL they are the stifling, sleep-depriving No 1 enemy of marital harmony. They make you regret everything from the position of your bedroom (south-facing on a main road) to all your life choices (much later on in the night), including your choice of life partner. The fact is you will have talked about your infernally hot bedroom the last time you were lying awake with wet flannels on your faces. At that point there was a plan in place to solve the problem for ever (ceiling fan plus Dyson) and then it cooled down suddenly and, unbeknown to us, the funds were allocated to a bigger TV. What women feel in these circs is that we are sharing a bed in a hellhole with someone who doesn't care and is unreliable. See how this can go? • Read more expert advice on sex, relationships, dating and love We're fine on holiday when we can wear the floaty thing and flip-flops and sit on a veranda, but we're living our normal lives in this oven. It's harder to juggle work and motherhood and public transport and parent care in a hot summer, and if you want to maintain your dignity it involves twice as much effort and financial outlay. Being a woman in the heat means endless expenditure (hair removal! Pedicures!) and rinsing out and crisping up and rotating heat-appropriate footwear. It means a gulf of envy opening up between the women who drift around looking at ease with a smooth ponytail and a dry upper lip and the rest of us, who look as if we're sitting on a smelter. And the point is women in this state feel under pressure (bloody everyone is on Mounjaro! Gwyneth Paltrow is cooking topless in boxer shorts! Sixtysomething women are wearing bikinis!), defensive and disappointed in their lot. Tinderbox. High summer comes with expectations and memories of the time when you pottered around in a string bikini, eating figs, and your husband was forever whisking you off for a largely bed and a bit of beach summer hol. Now if you go on a holiday (and you may not; see gardening, below) it must involve a bicycle with a very narrow seat; a battlefield tour (Waterloo?); some serious hiking to somewhere of cultural significance; padel in the heat of the day; or learning how to make polenta. This leaves us feeling old and heifery (we agreed to it but whatever) and mourning our lost youth and all the lie-ins and attention we used to get. • The new summer holiday etiquette Will basically be in their element (very annoying). • They get ultra cooking ambitious (should be welcome but not really because it always involves a last-minute frenzied drive around in search of black garlic and preserved lemons). • They get the barbecue out (too many frustrations to list, culminating in always lighting it too early or too late, and most importantly not being able to contribute anything else because they are 'watching the barbecue'). More work for us. • They get experimental fun times in the clothes department, which means anything from Brad Pittish louche combinations (seersucker jacket, yellow trousers) to Brian Wilson tribute outfits (big shorts, Hawaiian shirt) or maybe a towelling polo shirt and some off-white jeans. Either way (see 'women feel like heifers', above) it feels passive-aggressive. They often spend money you might have spent on your wedding dress on a pair of sunglasses. • They get David Beckham fiefdom ideas. Maybe not the beekeeping, maybe not the roses of kings, but they may fancy a pizza oven and growing vegetables and … now they are serious gardeners and that's what's happening in any spare moment. Used to be 'Sorry, got to sort out this work thing'; now it's 'Sorry, need to do something in the garden'. • They go entertainment crazy and are constantly suggesting the Whatsits come over for an alfresco supper for which they will rustle up several 100 per cent home-grown courses (apart from the cheese, but never say never). Again, should be great news for their partners but feels undermining since all anyone now talks about is his green fingers and cooking and how nice he has made everything look. And it's not just us: Posh is dealing with David's summer garden boy phase, and note, she doesn't have time for fannying around thinning the lettuces either. • They are never off the mower. It's like a man cave but mobile, and they have ear defenders so … • … they get a birdsong app. Lovely. But you never hear the end of it. They may stop you in mid-sentence when you're explaining the emergency with your mother's carer and say: 'Sssh … goldfinch.' Bottom line: your needs are no longer being met because it's all about summer. • How to get divorced: can anyone even afford to split up any more? • Drinking at lunch. We used to be good at this; now it means we have to sleep all afternoon and most of the next day, and in between we may feel in the mood for a fight. • Too much exposure to Mr and Mrs Mounjaro.• Missing a highlighting appointment (in the mistaken belief that it's summer and it will take care of itself).• Trying on a bikini if have not worn a bikini since before lockdown. • Letting it be known that you have no interest in going anywhere now that the garden (veg) is in full flight.• Suddenly taking an interest in cooking (after all these years of saying you were only a scrambled eggs man) and taking over.• Wearing sandals but not bothering to sort out your feet.• Refusing to wear suncream and burning. Applying suncream carelessly to wife so that she burns.• Being extremely complimentary about your neighbour Susie's new 'shape'.• Falling in love with the mower, barbecue, vegetable patch, birds, bird.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
People Who Called Off Their Weddings Are Sharing Why They Had A Change Of Heart, And It's An Emotional Rollercoaster
Reddit user thriceusetissue recently asked, "People who've called off wedding engagements, why didn't it work out?" Here are some shocking, heartbreaking, and wild reasons people dipped before saying "I do." 1."He called me when he was drunk at 3 a.m. and told me that he only asked me to marry him because he didn't think he could do better. He denied it happened the next day despite there being a call." —FuerGrissa0stDrauka 2."He wanted to play video games for 18 hours a day. I had to schedule an hour a day for us to just hang out, and he made it seem like I was an inconvenience. When I said he never wanted to do things I wanted to do, he told me he didn't like the things I did and didn't understand why he had to do them. He also got fired from four jobs that year because he would rather play games. Even his parents started asking why I was with him. I thought I couldn't do better, but I left him, and seven months later, after starting over, I found my husband." —mapleysyrupy 3."He asked me to promise him never to get fat, or he would be forced to look at other women. I ended it immediately. He then said he was joking, but I knew he wasn't. His mom called me crying, asking me to reconsider. No, thank you." —MomMMMNN 4."We decided to open up our relationship (terrible idea, I know, but we were convinced), then the trust was broken, and it was never the same. We called it off shortly after. In hindsight, that relationship had some other big problems, but we were in love, and it's hard to see red flags with rose colored glasses on. Life goes on, and I'm in a much happier relationship now. I hope the same for her." —Randomsong000000001 5."He was an amazing man and would've been an amazing husband. At that point in my life, I was a closeted lesbian, and only an evil person would've gone forward with the wedding." —du-du-duck 6."My friend ended her engagement with her fiancé because it came out that he was ripping everyone off. He was an investment banker, a charismatic guy, who had convinced everyone he knew (family, friends, her family and friends, businesses, anyone he could really) to invest with him, lying about the returns, a robbing-Peter-to-pay-Paul situation. It all came to light along with the fact that he was physically abusing her to keep her quiet. He ended up in prison." —tweedledumb4u 7."A year after we met, he moved to another country for his dream job (it would only be a two or three-year contract). I was still in grad school, so I couldn't move, so we did long distance for two and a half years. We spent all our extra money on plane tickets. We got engaged while still long-distance. I then said I wanted to move to another country for my dream job. By this point, he decided he wanted to take a job back in our original country. Instead of supporting me, he tried to aggressively talk me out of taking the job, whining, being manipulative, and telling me to take something lower level in our home country." "In the end, to mentally deal with packing up and moving without the extra stress, I basically cut contact with him for two months, moved, and started my job. Then we talked and broke up on the phone. I mailed him the ring and never looked back." —BloopBloopBloopin 8."I felt like I was his mom. I had to keep asking him to help out around the house, make sure he wasn't sleeping through his alarm for work, set up a 'chore chart' so I wasn't the only one keeping up with household tasks, apologe to my friends and family for him skipping out on events because he was sleeping through them, ask him not to stay up until 3 a.m. playing video games because we had something important going on the following morning, etc." —butterednoodles24 9."He proposed right after boot camp at 19. I said yes, but I wanted to wait until I finished college. At 20, he started pestering me to get married and would get upset when I did homework instead of hanging out with him. By the end of junior year, I was failing my classes, and I asked to take a break. We had been dating since I was 16, and I really just wanted some time to figure out who I was. He cried to all our friends, who convinced me I was a fool for ending it, so I took him back. Two weeks after my 21st birthday, I found out he had been sleeping with my brother's girlfriend for months. I'm 29 now. I saw him about two years ago at a work event where he was the valet. I parked my own car." —queen-of-unicorns 10."When he realized my dad wasn't paying for the whole thing, he completely lost interest in planning anything. I kind of fished for his response by softly asking, 'Do you want to call it off to avoid the financial hardship?' His whole face actually beamed at that, lmao. I called it off and fully left him like a month later." —Majestic-Bake1868 11."I ended my very short-lived engagement because of Reddit. I kid you not. I posted on an engagement ring sub about hating my ring, and then people started asking questions about my relationship. After others figured out that he was much older, it made me understand I was being manipulated. It was mind-blowing. I received so many messages from concerned women of that sub that I could barely keep up. In the beginning, I thought everyone was exaggerating, but then I started reading stories and links they sent me and finding so much in common. I told him I needed some time to think. He did a 180-degree change-up, making me realize what a freak he was. I haven't looked back, honestly. I am applying for medical school and am so happy I didn't stay with him." —Thick-Journalist-901 12."He told me I could either give him a kid or he was taking the ring back. So I gave him the ring back." —Cuntzilla_ 13."He refused to set a date. Then he refused to make me coffee (same pot, it was big enough for both of us, he just wouldn't make enough for both of us). Then he refused to turn off the giant overhead light in the bedroom when he left for work earlier than I, so I had to get up to turn it off and couldn't sleep for a few more minutes. He just didn't like me much after the excitement wore off, and I wanted more than that. He did, however, stalk and harass me for weeks after I broke it off, threatening my job and my housing, and repeatedly telling me he'd kill himself or sexually assault me. Which just seems like a lot more effort than making slightly more coffee and turning off a light and not screaming at me." —bloop-bloop-bloop- 14."His mom basically ran our relationship. I'd be marrying a family that didn't even like me, and she didn't stand up for me once. Nah." —pink_cherryy 15."He was emotionally abusive and very dependent. I found out after the fact he cheated on me and had a child with her (he's a doctor, she was the nurse!)." —SharonAlyse 16."A relative of mine called off her wedding the day before the event, after all the guests had flown in, when she somehow learned that her fiancé was not, in fact, divorced from his first wife like he'd claimed." —koreth 17."I really started watching how she treated her parents while she was stressed. I was not impressed. I didn't want that in a permanent partner." —das_sparker 18."She lied about doing her taxes for like five years. She never did them. I only found out when she freaked out about me opening a letter for her from the IRS. I can't deal with lying like that. I literally offered to help/do them for years prior to that. Who just doesn't file taxes?" —Techfuture2 19."He was controlling and immature. He wanted to buy video games and CDs rather than paying rent. He emotionally manipulated me into making irresponsible financial decisions. The straw that broke the camel's back was when my mom left a stern message on the answering machine saying the bank called her because I was $700 overdrawn. When he told me I had a message, he said, 'Your mom called. Haha, you're in trouble!'" —crazyidahopuglady 20."I got engaged and broke up with someone during the same conversation. He proposed and then explained that he proposed because he cheated on me, and the immense guilt made him realize how much he loved me and how much he wanted to spend his life with me." —MehX73 21."He started getting weirdly jealous. He'd get upset if I left the house when he said he might call, even if those times were during my classes or work. Or, he'd say he was coming over and not show for hours. And again, he would be upset if I were not sitting and waiting for him. Clearly absurd shit! When I dumped his ass, he told me I couldn't make it without him. I told him my life was about to get EASIER without having a giant baby!" —jjme08 22."I slept with a member of my bridal party two months before the wedding. It kind of felt like poor form to go through with it after that. I spent way too long holding on after that and caused a lot more hurt from not knowing what the hell I wanted." —Pettyjack 23."He was Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Life of the party, nicest guy in public. At home, controlling, gaslighting, and verbally and emotionally abusive. He tried to destroy my career and friendships so that I would be reliant on him. But I was the 'crazy' one! I was apparently immature, poor, and going to cheat on him, so he cheated first. And he abused alcohol and drugs, but no, he blamed that on me. He is on wife number five." —blueyedwineaux 24."I called mine off two weeks before because he was so rigid about the prenup, and instead of trying to work through it, he said take it or leave it. So I left it. I realized at that moment this guy didn't want a partner; he wanted someone who thought he could control and who was convenient. I personally did not matter to him. His mom was also extremely manipulative and awful. I couldn't run faster from that family." —killer-queen 25."I felt pressure from my mother to marry. I was in my early 30s at the time. Took 12 months to organize this wedding, and then the invitations went out. At this point, anxiety set in, and I had weeks of sleepless nights. I didn't want to marry. He was a great man, and who was I to take away his opportunity at real love so that I could appease my mother? So I cancelled it all in one fell swoop! Boy, was I hated by all. I lived happily ever after!" —Left_Signal_1370 26."He went to law school and became a mean, overly competitive person. We began frequently arguing, and couples counseling didn't help. I asked to postpone the wedding, and he gave me an ultimatum: keep our date or break it off. I chose the latter, thank GOD." —Alternative-Sir-2226 27."I was way too young to be engaged in the first place. But then I started noticing how he treated his sweet mom (lots of pouting, yelling, melodrama), and I realized that was my future. I've never regretted walking away." —Appropriate-Cod9031 28."My ex and I were about six months from getting married. DJ, photographer, venue, save the dates. There came a certain point where she wasn't enthusiastic about the planning, and I knew something was up, but I was still stunned when she said she wanted to call it off. She could tell I wasn't ready to start a family like she was and that I was going along for the ride. It hurt like hell at first, and I went off the deep end for a while, but eventually I felt relief because she was right. I wasn't ready for kids. We briefly got back together and ended it again more amicably the second time, and two weeks after splitting for good, I met the woman I would marry. We're happy and child-free; my ex is a mom of two kids. She's divorced but seems to be doing well. I'm grateful to her now, in retrospect." —MisterAlaska "My buddy and his ex-fiancée ended an engagement about four years ago, only six months before their wedding. Basically, both of them, on their own, felt like it had run its course, and they weren't supposed to be together. It's one of the most mature break-ups I've ever seen. Within two months, both of them had new partners. Flash forward three years. My buddy and his ex both got engaged to those partners within weeks of each other. Flash forward to last Saturday, and both of them got married — on the same day — to the people they had met within months of ending an engagement four years prior. Meanwhile...I've been single this whole damn time!" —masu94 Have you ever broken off an engagement? What happened? Tell us in the comments or share anonymously using this form.
