A list of everything you hate about someone, read out loud, has always been a way of saying the opposite. Write yours, fondly.
Fond GripesThe small things I hate about you - and the turn
List the small habits of someone you love. One run turns each into an "I hate the way you..." line, adds the turn at the end, and checks the balance: too sweet, too sharp, sideways or the sweet spot. The page folds it all into a paper fortune teller.
1 Whose habits
2 The habit check free
The page reads each habit against short word lists. These are hints, not the verdict.
The page's guess: -
looks or a trait insult word sore spot sideways dig compliment in disguise too short
3 The fortune teller
-
Pick a flap
Press a number, or the centre for the turn.
Copy the list gives the lines and the turn, ready to paste into a card, a message or a toast. The exports below keep the checks too.
One flap per habit. Before a run each flap holds your habit and a dot marks what the page flagged; after a run it holds the written line, and a hatched flap is a habit left out of the list.
4 Write the list
A good teasing list cares and challenges at the same time: it names real, small habits and still sounds like love. One run asks three questions of your habits as written - does any of them insult, mock looks or a trait, or touch a real hurt; does any make a real complaint through sarcasm; are they mostly compliments in disguise? The first yes decides it, in that order - too sharp, sideways, too sweet; three noes make it the sweet spot.
You get one line per habit (or a kind note on why a habit stays out), the turn at the end, a care and challenge score and up to three fixes.
5 Saved lists
How the free side works
The habit check reads each line against short lists: looks or traits (nose, weight, hairline), insult words (lazy, selfish, useless), sore spots (money owed, drinking, an ex, lies, promises), sideways digs (must be nice, funny how, some of us, no offence), compliments in disguise (too generous, works too hard, always remembers) and lines under three words. Its guess follows the same order as the run's rule. It never decides for you.
The run gets these notes and your answers, and the page checks every reply against them: the verdict follows its own three checks, the care and challenge scores sit in the verdict's corner, there is one line per habit in order, every kept line starts "I hate", a left-out habit says why, the turn starts "But mostly" (with a blank when you left the love box empty), word limits hold, and nothing is added that you did not say - no new numbers, days or occasions, no he or she, no insults and no jabs at looks.
Before you share it: read it aloud once as the other person would hear it. Tease habits, never looks or who someone is - and keep a real complaint for a real conversation.