We all know the unspoken rule: you don’t date your friend’s ex. But is that rule actually reasonable, especially when the relationship is over and both people have supposedly moved on?

Because technically, once you’ve broken up with someone, do you still get a say in who they date? And does it make a difference if it was a serious, long-term relationship versus someone they went on a few dates with?

What if your friend says they’re completely over them but clearly still has feelings? And then there’s the other side — if you genuinely connect with someone, should your friend’s past relationship with them automatically make them off-limits?

Maybe the real issue isn’t whether you can date your friend’s ex, but whether you’re willing to deal with what it could do to the friendship.