If Hamlet had been written and published in 2019, Shakespeare's soliloquy surely would have read, "To flex on one's ex or not to flex on one's ex? That is the question." It's a tale as old as time: You dated someone for a while and it didn't work out, but you'd not-so-secretly love the chance to show them once more how amazing you are. But I have one question for you: Should you flex on your ex?
After a hard breakup, when you're finally ready to go on a fun trip with friends or hit the town for a big night out, it's natural to want to post about it. Though prioritizing self-care and pumping yourself up after a breakup can be a good thing, doing something just to spite your ex may not work in your favor. No matter how painful your split was or how badly you want to (evil laugh) win the breakup, trying to slam-dunk on your ex can leave you feeling a little slammed down.
Elite Daily asked five people about flexing on their exes and all the ways in which it can go terribly awry. What they said will have you cringing in your seat.
Sophomore year of college, I joined this one-credit yoga class, and on the first day, I realized my ex was in it. A few weeks in, we were doing these handstands. I was trying to look like I was really good at yoga, but I fell right on my butt in the middle of the class and everyone, including my ex, was looking at me.
— Akello, 24
My ex worked at a really nice restaurant right on the water, so I'd always get free food and discounted drinks whenever I went there. After the breakup, the staff was acting so nice, so I balled out when ordering because I thought they'd give me a discount. At the end of the night, they ended up charging me full-price for all the stuff I had ordered! I needed to move money from my savings into my checking to pay for it all.
— Zach, 25
My ex and I are in the same friend group. After we broke up, I didn't want to risk seeing him, so I didn't go out for a while. Eventually, there was something that he knew I was going to be at (my best friend's birthday party), so he showed up with his new girlfriend, trying to look unfazed over the breakup. It turns out, his new girlfriend was our other friend's ex and was not welcome. They were both asked to leave the party while my friends and I just watched in awe.
— Jessa, 23
I saw my ex in a coffee shop once, and I was sure that he saw me and was just being petty and ignoring me. I called my friend and started talking really loudly, hoping my ex would overhear me. It turns out, he had earbuds in and didn't even notice I was there. But two other people in the coffee shop were super annoyed and asked me to leave.
— Lei, 20
When my high school boyfriend dumped me, I was so sad about it that I cried for weeks. For years later, whenever he would text me, I would brag to him about the things I was doing. Last summer, my mom was redoing the house and told me that she had used my ex's mom to help her with her new curtains (his mom was a seamstress). She said that one day, they were talking about me and my ex, and she told his mom how sad I was when he dumped me and how I slept in his shirt for weeks after because she thought it was 'so cute.' I was like, 'Mom!'
— Margot, 21
While living your #bestlife can be a good way to heal from heartbreak, you don't have anything to prove to anyone. Though there's no one way to get over a breakup, if you're doing something just to flex on your ex, you may want to consider your intentions. You deserve to be happy and fulfilled in all you do. And sometimes, the best feeling in the world is flexing for yourself.
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