Express dislike minus snarkiness

Hi, Carolyn: I can’t stand my best friend’s boyfriend. He’s passive-aggressive and is always making snarky, spiteful comments. It’s common for him to join activities in which he has no interest, and then disparage anyone or anything involved. And rather than express his feelings honestly, he keeps them bottled up until he explodes in a fit of snarkiness.

I am running out of excuses for not hanging out with my friend. What should I do? Tell him I can’t stand his boyfriend and risk losing a friend I value, or accept that the price of admission to the friendship is putting up with his soul-sucking boyfriend? – Best Friend

It might help to recognize that your letter is a snarkless version of the bottle-bottle-explode tactic the boyfriend uses.

When he disparages someone or something, he hands you an opportunity to say, “I’m sorry to hear that; I’m having a great time.” Or, “Why’d you come, then?” Or just, “(Shrug.) Your loss.” Right? Your words, of course – but as long as you’re dukes-down and not fighting snark with snark, these are opportunities to express your feelings not just honestly, but also to the source.

Instead, the options you suggest amount to rolling your many grievances against the boyfriend into one I-can’t-stand-him confrontation with your best friend, or continuing to bottle it up.

Your calling out the poor sportsmanship – again, without snotty inflection – might move your friend to start the conversation anyway, and that’s OK. Even if he’s defensive, keep “He’s a soul-sucking, passive-aggressive joy vampire” between us, and stick to “I think it’s fair for me to respond to his comments” or “How do you feel when he says (latest example here)?”

Your behavior change, though, in limit-setting versus avoidance and excuses, might on its own spur a behavior change in the boyfriend, your friend or both. And regardless, you’ll have done something. Isn’t that what you want?