Yeah, I get really revved up by listening to a date rant about her ex and his colonic behaviour. Made me think I'm just auditioning for the next chapter in her personal angst-fest.

I have ex's too, like most people, but I try real hard to keep them out of date conversation.

My ex didn't talk much about her boyfriend that preceded me, but I know they had lived together for a number of years. He cheated on her with his tennis coach, and she threw him out, but I know his cheating on her preyed upon her psyche for a long time; it was always sort of a ghost hovering over the relationship I had with her. My ex and I weren't together nearly as long as she had been with him. With galled me happened after she and I had broken up (she was the one who initiated the break-up and it hurt, but, thankfully, I was able to hook up with someone almost immediately afterward, which helped soothe my own pain and battered ego a bit). Her father died not long after our break-up, and she made it abundantly clear to me that I wasn't invited to the funeral, but her philandering ex was. That bothered me more than our break-up, I think.

I'd ditch these people fast if they don't change their feelings about their ex.

Been around a few of these. At least they usually have nothing good to say about the ex.

The occasional slip of mention I can handle, especially if they were with said person for a long time...but...I draw the line at being compared to an ex for whatever reason, 'cause if they (and the relationship) were so great you'd probably still be with them

Terrific addition to the list. . .if my date started rambling on an on about an ex, I usually use the magic words- Check, please!

Listening to a man droan on and on about his ex wife/girlfriend is just so much fun. But here is the really fun part.......... when your husband and his ex girlfriend actually stayed friends for the past 15 years and she is a part of all family gatherings, outings, or parties.

When I am with someone, the last thing I should hear about when I go out to dinner with him is to hear about how his Ex hated the restaurant that we are eating dinner at.

Many years ago I was on a date with a guy who could NOT stop talking about his ex-wife. Just before I went comatose I whipped out some photos I had in my wallet of my pets and started talking about them as if they were my children. Suffices to say, that was the first and last date. How thick-headed can you be?

Enkidu makes a great point. Cherish the person who can speak well of his or her exes. Kolby has a point also. The victim of a recent break-up should be given a little leeway to complain. Of course, there's a point where that should stop.

This really all depends on the situation. If you are going out with someone who just recently broke up with someone and they were dramatically hurt in their previous relationship, then they are probably going to talk quite a bit about the ex. And if you are dating someone who is going out with you on the rebound and you have knowledge of it, then you really can't complain. However, if you have been dating this person awhile and they have long been out of the relationship with the person whom they are complaining about, then yes I would say they are obsessing to much and might even still be in love with the person, in which you will find out sooner or later anyways. In my experience, most of the people I know that obsess over their exes end up going with them again either while they are still with you, or they will break up with you to be with them again. It is just a really difficult situtation, you just have to get to the bottom of it is all. I personally am getting to old for all the games, so if I suspect at all they are still in love with previous person, I just end it right away...I don't have time for it anymore...

Listening to someone obsess over and over about the one who done him wrong gets really boring after a whilte.It makes me think the guy is still infatuated with his ex.

That's definately a good way to make your first date your last, that's for sure.

When I hear this, I realize that in a few short months I will be the man she is complaining about to her date. These women are typically very petty and hard to get along with, yet they make their last boyfriend out to be the one with issues.

Remember that whatever she is ranting about someday she'll be saying about you. I love women who speak well of their ex: unfortunately they are hard to find. They're taken.

It's a little disrespectful to constantly bring up the Ex. Fine, bring it up as part of a bigger conversation, but don't obsess over that persons little quirks. Playing psychologist gets annoying after a while and it's not at all interesting. Makes you think she's not really there with you.