MY VALENTINE'S DAY ADVICE TO YOU: IF SOMEONE GRABS YOU BY THE HEART----

----IT MAKES GOOD SENSE TO MAINTAIN A POLITE AND WISE AND LEVEL-HEADED PLATONIC CREDIBILITY WITH THAT INDIVIDUAL AT ALL TIMES.

STRIVE TO BE NICE AND CONSIDERATE TOWARD THAT INDIVIDUAL WHILE ALSO EXHIBITING FULL RESPECT TOWARD HIS OR HER PRIVACY RIGHTS.

STRIVE TO ALSO DISCREETLY AND POLITELY AND IN A GRADUAL AND LOW-KEY MANNER LEARN MORE ABOUT THAT INDIVIDUAL, INFORMATION THAT MIGHT HELP YOU TO RID YOURSELF OF YOUR INFATUATION IF IT IS, IN FACT, ILL-ADVISED.

YOU CAN FIND OUT SUCH FACTS AS:

--HAS HE OR SHE EVER BEEN CONVICTED OF A FELONY CRIME?

--DOES HE OR SHE EVER APPEAR TO BE PRONE TO COMMITTING AN ACT OF PHYSICAL VIOLENCE THAT HARMS OR INJURES EITHER ANOTHER HUMAN BEING OR AN ANIMAL?

--DOES HE OR SHE EVER MAKE CRUEL-SOUNDING OR NASTY-SOUNDING COMMENTS TO ANYONE WITHIN EARSHOT OF YOU THAT YOU REGARD AS MISANTHROPIC, AND THAT YOU ARE VERY SURE YOU YOURSELF WOULD NEVER DIRECTLY VERBALIZE TO ANYONE?

--IS HE OR SHE CURRENTLY ADDICTED TO ANY TOBACCO PRODUCT?

---IS HE OR SHE CURRENTLY ADDICTED TO MARIJUANA OR ANY OTHER ILLICIT DRUG?

--IS HE OR SHE NOT A TRUE GENTLEMAN OR A TRUE LADY TOWARD ANY OF THE PERSONS YOU OBSERVE HIM OR HER INTERACTING WITH?

---DOES HE APPARENTLY NOT HAVE ANY HOBBIES OR PASTIMES IN COMMON WITH YOU? DOES HE NOT PLAY TENNIS OR RACQUETBALL OR SQUASH OR ROLLER-SKATE, FOR INSTANCE?

---DOES HE APPARENTLY NOT HAVE ANY SHARED MORAL VALUES OR ANY SHARED POLITICAL VALUES WITH YOU? FOR INSTANCE, DOES HE NEVER COMMENT IN YOUR PRESENCE THAT HE IS DISMAYED BY PERSONAL-INJURY CRIMES OR BY SEXUAL-ASSAULT CRIMES OR BY HOME-INVASION CRIMES, OR THAT HE SUPPORTS CRIME-DETERRENCE OR LAW-ENFORCEMENT?

---IS HE OR SHE NOT KIND TO CHILDREN OR OTHER YOUTHS UNDER 17?

---IS HE OR SHE NOT RESPECTFUL OF YOUR OWN OR OTHERS' FREEDOM OF RELIGION?

THEN, IN THE VERY UNLIKELY EVENT THAT YOU YOURSELF ALSO GRABBED THE CITED INDIVIDUAL BY THE HEART --- AND THE VAST MAJORITY OF INFATUATIONS IN LIFE ARE, OF COURSE, COMPLETELY UNREQUITED-- AND YOU ACTUALLY HAVE A VARIETY OF NOTEWORTHY VALUES AND BELIEFS IN COMMON, YOU WILL BE VERY GLAD YOU SHOWED A KIND AND POLITE INTEREST IN THAT INDIVIDUAL AS A HUMAN BEING IN THE MEANTIME.

AND YOU WILL PROBABLY ALSO DISCOVER, AS MOST PEOPLE DO, THAT THE MUTUAL-HEART-GRABBING EXPERIENCE WAS AN INDICATION OF POSSIBLE BUDDING PLATONIC LOVE OR POSSIBLE BUDDING PLATONIC AFFECTION OR PLATONIC ADMIRATION BETWEEN THE TWO OF YOU---AND NOT, AS MANY PEOPLE ALL TOO QUICKLY ASSUME, AN INDICATION OF INCIPIENT "ROMANTIC LOVE".