2B Or Not To Be

This guy recently moved into my apartment building, and we seem to have a spark. I'd like to go out with him. However, because we live in the same building, this might be a bad idea. If it goes badly, things could get really awkward or even horrible. Should I just try to forget about him?

--Tempted

Let's just say this has some negative potential -- along the lines of throwing back a bottle of pinot noir all by yourself and then deciding to cut your bangs at 1 a.m. Though going for it with this guy could go seriously wrong, there's also the potential for it to go seriously right. Risk can be a path to reward (whereas avoiding it is unlikely to lead to a shiny new boyfriend suddenly sliding down your chimney, Santa-style). To figure out whether you can afford the risk, apply a concept from economic psychology: "Risk tolerance." This is a term for how much stomach somebody has for the possible loss of an investment they make -- all their dollars leaping out of it and swan-diving en masse into a toilet, with the final straggling dollar kicking the flusher on its way down. Essential to determining your risk tolerance is figuring out the possible costs if a thing between you and this guy goes all crashy-burn. For example, there could be financial costs if you end up needing to move. You should also factor in your tolerance for drama, like embarrassing public encounters with a Mr. Romantic turned Mr. Should Be In A Jacket With A Lotta Buckles. Also consider your fiscal and emotional fortitude for what psychologists Joseph Luft and Harrington Ingham called "unknown unknowns": crazy stuff most of us just wouldn't imagine happening, like much of the adult world getting grounded by the government. If you decide to give it a go with him, consider taking things slowly. This is generally prudent but especially so when you could have a stalker who doesn't have to follow you home because he lives there, too. If you're like me, you love to make an interesting entrance, but that probably doesn't include getting into your apartment via rope ladder. ... For pages and pages of "science-help" from me, buy my latest book, "Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence." It lays out the PROCESS of transforming to live w/confidence.