This Guy's Selfies Show That Being a Third Wheel Is Actually the Best
Remember that one summer you spent hanging out with the same couple every weekend? Or that three-person vacation you guys went on? Or maybe it was the time you realized that you were the Joey to your best friends' Chandler and Monica?
At a certain time in your life, you've probably been another couple's third wheel. And if you're anything like this dude, you've turned awkwardly tagging along on your friends' dates into a straight-up full-time job.
Recently, Imgur user earthyhillgivens documented his journey being a professional third wheel with a smorgasbord of selfies that will look more than a little familiar to anyone who's ever sat next to their BFFs while they made out in a movie theater... or in a park... or anywhere, really.
There's the "They're holding hands 20 feet ahead and may or may not have forgotten I existed" selfie:
There's the "Don't mind me, I'm just hanging out during your intimate Netflix binge" selfie:
And, of course, the universally relatable "I'm in the back seat right now and this car ride occasionally feels like I'm a child being carted around by my parents, so I'll just take a selfie while they talk about grown-up things" selfie:
It's actually awesome: Despite this dude's ice-cold facial expressions, we're going to guess that he secretly loves his third wheel status.
In fact, there are plenty of young folks out there who argue that hanging out with couples is actually the best.
As an eternal third wheel, "you expand your friend group," Gena Kaufman wrote for Glamour in 2012. "I consider lots of my friends' boyfriends and husbands to be my good friends. They're funny and smart and willing to help out when I need a guy's opinion."
Being a third wheel can also be instructive, particularly if you're interested in finding a relationship of your own. "Your couple friends will unintentionally teach you the dos and don'ts of relationships," pro-third wheel-er Katla McGlynn wrote for the Huffington Post last year.
Couples can also benefit tremendously from having their friends around as well. A study published earlier this year in Social Psychology Quarterly reported that having the support and approval of friends can make couples feel "more loved, more committed and more positive about a partner."
The real-life evidence of this conclusion? The fact that the lovebirds in those Imgur photos ultimately ended up getting hitched.
We wouldn't be surprised if the unwavering support from their selfie-taking sidekick had a little something to do with it.