When we can’t be certain about something, it’s often due to people not being upfront with us. Instead of getting stressed out, here are a few possible ways to deal with the unknown.

1. Girlfriend/boyfriend mind games

“Have fun.” Or the classic “Fine.” With a period and no emoji. Did you do something wrong? Such cryptic messages with the lack of tone can be a worry and a dampener especially if you’re gonna have fun without the significant other.

What you should do: Er, invite them along with the caveat that it’s an all-guys/all-girls thing so they might not enjoy themselves? If they are not keen, at least you’ve asked. “Don’t say I never jio lor...”

2. Relationship friendzones

This actually applies for both guys and gals - getting in/out of the relationship friendzone. When one decides to be a "nice guy", the friendzoned party is gonna be one really long ride which probably ends in heartbreak in most instances.

What you should do: Cut your losses and move on. While easier said than done, life’s too short to be pining over a single person. And if you’re the popular one, please do let them know early, it’s not hard. People on the opposite camp: Please don't string them along.

3. Old friend asks you out for dinner but ends up delivering a sales pitch

We’ve all been here before, especially when all your friends have started their professional life. The old dinner switcheroo goes from a great catch-up to trying your best to be polite in order to save the relationship. Bummer.

What you should do: Do yourself a favour and check out your friend’s social media pages. Filled with motivational quotes and product pitches? Consider yourself warned. Be upfront and ask him/her the purpose of the meal; you’d be happy to catch up for a meal but not being solicited.

4. Transport rides with no fixed cost

Have you ever entered a vehicle and the uncle gets lost, or you get stuck with said uncle in heavy traffic? You won’t know what your final fare is but it’ll probably be at explosive levels. Thankfully, ride-hiring apps are here to stay, offering commuters with great convenience and more certainty in getting a ride when you need one.

What you should do: For greater peace of mind, consider GrabCar where fares are fixed and displayed upfront.  If the price is right, tap the book button within the app to secure your ride and wait for your car to arrive. Fixed pricing is a boon especially when you’re stuck in heavy traffic - no more cold sweat wondering how much more each ticking minute is going to cost you. Fixed fares ftw.

5. Perpetual closing down sales

The common sight at various HDB stores especially with those red text on yellow font banners. One might think we’re back in China beating some bandits. Guess they made enough money from the perpetual sales to stay perpetually in business.

What you should do: Who cares? If prices remain low all day, every day, they can go through the motion all the way!

6. That friend who is always late

We all have that one friend who has a really fluid measure of time. When “soon” actually means an hour (or more) later and is a bane to all gatherings especially if you’re the punctual type.

What you should do:  Desperate times call for desperate measures. Your best bet is physically escorting them from their point of origin (be it office or home) to the end destination. Or let them know a time that is an hour earlier than the actual meet-up time. Otherwise, you might want to avoid meeting them altogether.

7. The stonewall HR department

Interviewed for the dream job but HR is taking ages to get back to you. Busy or just plain rude, it’s never cool to leave anyone hanging.

What you should do: Stop waiting for that call or email to arrive. Take the initiative and drop the HR department a follow-up email to close the loop, and to give them an avenue for rejection. The faster you know, the faster you can get on with life.

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