Don't you wish you had some sort of decoder ring that could see past a person's dimples or cute, floppy hair, to discover whether or not they are pure rotting evil on the inside? We certainly do, and we hope some scientists are hard at work on one of these gizmos. Sadly, we're stuck not knowing if a person is worthy of our attention and affection, until we've invested some time in them. It sounds like you are open-minded when hanging out with new people, and you assume that if a guy is nice, compliments you, and spends time with you, that he's basically a good guy. That's not anything you should feel badly about; it just means you take people at face value. Unfortunately, not everyone is quite as upfront and honest as you are, as evidenced by your recent run of sweet-to-sucky dudes.

Don't beat yourself up. After all, this happens to everyone at some point or another. One way to possibly avoid this pitfall is to ease into the relationship and take things slowly. That way if you fall for him, it's because you truly know him. Go out on a few dates, or have him tag along with you and your friends. You may find that you have a lot in common and that you really bond as friends. Going from friends to more is often a great way to start a relationship. And if you don't, well, no harm done. Or no major harm, other than a little disappointment. We aren't suggesting that you view everyone with suspicion, just that it's okay to wait until you're a little more comfortable with someone before assuming they're more than a flirt!

—Andrea Pyros