DR. WALLACE: I’ve had the same best friend in school for the last five years; we’re now seniors in high school together. I want to go to college and I’m trying to get accepted to the university of my choice.
My friend, meanwhile, hasn’t made up her mind on what she wants to do. I get better grades than my friend does because I study really hard and she spends her evenings out partying.
We have a class together and I don’t want to show her my grades or tell her my overall GPA because I think it’ll hurt her feelings. Do I have to share my grades with my friend, even if it will likely make her feel bad? — Don’t Want to Embarrass My Friend, via email
DON’T WANT TO EMBARRASS MY FRIEND: Some students are obsessed with their grades and are naturally very diligent and even at times competitive. Others are more comfortable with a casual approach to grades.
There is no benefit for you to share your grades with your friend other than to show her what’s possible with hard work and diligence. If she asks, you can say that you don’t want to show off and leave it at that. She’ll then understand that you are achieving good grades but are not rubbing them in her face.
If she persists, ask her to spend a few evenings studying with you and tell her you can show her how to get better grades by applying herself more regularly to her studies.
In the end it doesn’t really matter because you’re not competing with her; you study harder, and your grades show it. You’re truly competing with yourself to get the most out of your own abilities that you can, and I commend you on your success.
I HAVE BAD DREAMS!
DR. WALLACE: I have a good life and I don’t feel too stressed out most of the time. But recently I’ve been remembering the dreams I have at night and I’m kind of scared by them!
I have dreams that my teeth are breaking or falling out, and what’s strange is that in my dreams I’m not even eating anything when this happens to me. Why am I having these dreams and what do you think that they might mean? Is it worth worrying about, or should I just ignore them and try to forget them entirely? — Unhappy Dreams, via email
UNHAPPY DREAMS: Actually, teeth dreams are more common than you may think. Many people have these types of dreams. I do suggest that you ignore them and focus your energy on your waking hours and responsibilities in your daily life.
Having said that, I can tell you that “teeth dreams” are very common with many children and adults alike. Those who try to interpret dreams feel that this type of dream may represent a profound change in your life or a form of anxiety.
Here are a few general dream interpretations that relate to teeth:
Losing teeth — not being able to say something
Teeth falling out — repeating a secret or holding back the truth
Teeth breaking — not being able to make a compromise
Rotting teeth — hiding guilt and loss
Teeth crumbling — fear of speaking
Teeth splitting apart — focusing on unimportant details
Loose teeth — needing to speak about a topic
While these interpretations may be entertaining to read, I personally feel it’s best not to overthink dreams and to focus on your waking hours, as they are the most productive and rewarding ones to you.
Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at [email protected] To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
