On a strange note, was surfing some blogs (as one does when one is supposed to be writing a 1,000 word french essay) and found an extract from a book on Western and Asian cultures. Thought it related very very much to a certain little, smelly girl:

If they feel included in the ingroup, their need for assimilation is minimal; if they feel excluded from the ingroup this need is maximal. If they feel highly included, their need to be different is high. This is called need differentiation.

If the individuals are not included, this need is minimal. As a result, the gradients of assimilation and differentiation are two lines that intersect at the optimal distinctiveness point. This is the point where people feel most comfortable.

Scary! Because she is on the periphery, she feels a great need to be assimilated but will sit there like a lemon doing fuck all. Yet those of is who are 'down' with the group have our own unique identities, the result of need differentiation. Wow!

Also found this website which chronicles all the terrible ways people have got rejected, rejected people or have tried to reject. Hilarious crap on there, enough to make one feel better about onesself! But this story beats them all. (Goddamn I can hear the cries of my teacher as I am reading this stuff telling me that a D is realistic).

Also good is Blissfully Bitter which gives terrible advice such as how to leave someone at the altar, break up with someone, why sex is good etc. Always useful. And even better is Get Dumped where you can get them to write a letter and dump your mate. Elenaor, you may be getting one very, very soon. Becuase even though you promised you'd love me forever, it's just not working out anymore! It's not you, it's me! We can still be friends! I never stopped loving you! etc.