5 Signs You’ve Got the Ted Mosby Syndrome

By Paola Hernandez, Copy Cutie

credit: JamieMoVieSeRieS (Flickr)CBS’ How I Met Your Mother has been a hit for eight seasons. But despite being a TV show, for many, it’s a way of life. Ongoing references of The Bro Code, the phrase “Suit up!,” and an overuse of the word legendary are just a few examples of how this comedy has permeated real life.

Aside from themes, the show’s characters have become household names. Take the narrator Ted Mosby. From episode one we see that Ted, unlike most 20-somethings his age, is more concerned with getting married than anything else. And through the years viewers have grown to accept his quirky ways to find love (and yes, he's even tried online dating!). But when the episode before winter break showed the engagement of Barney, Ted’s best friend, and Robin, the former apple of his eye, it leaves Ted as the only single person in his inner circle.

Real life Mosbys have been exposed since the show’s premiere in 2005. Think someone you know suffers from TMS (the Ted Mosby Syndrome)? Here are five key signs:

1. Not So Hard To Say I Love You.  Finding the perfect time to say “I love you” can be nerve-racking. But people with TMS utter it prematurely — like on a first date. Yes, love at first sight does happen, but acknowledging it openly to someone from the get go can scare people away. In the show’s premiere, Ted tells Robin that he’s in love with her, but lucky for him she stuck around for a while. Make sure to take the time to really explore your feelings before blurting out the big L.

2. Back to the Future.  It’s always good to look to the future so you can make smart investments in the present. However, making impulsive buys like a house for a wife and kids might be a bit severe when you’re, um, single (yes, Ted did this). Putting a down payment on a house can be tough financially. Before you take life by the horns and purchase a place, make sure you have people to fill in the soon-to-be happy home with.

3. All By Myself.  The urgency of finding true love and happiness grows when you’re the only singleton in your group. When Ted deals with this when HIMYM comes back on the air next Monday, he might be more driven than ever to find his wife. Don’t let you being the only person flying solo force you to hunt down your next match.

4. Too Soon.  Introducing the new person you’re seeing to friends and family is a huge relationship step. But when you have TMS, you bring every single person to every single event. And after a while, the people around you might not care as much, even when you’re think this person is it (which is what you said about the last seven people you introduced). Save those encounters for someone you’re serious with. The last thing you want is for loved ones to develop a connection with someone, to only have to end it because you guys broke up.

5. Don’t Stop Believing.  But the one positive symptom of TMS is pure optimism. When most people get their hearts broken, the thought of finding someone new can be hard. But what do you do when you fall off the horse? You get back on — with more determination than ever! Keeping a positive attitude will affect other parts of your life, too, like work and your non-romantic relationships with others. You never know who your special someone is unless you put yourself out there.

Ted Mosby Syndrome isn’t always a bad thing — everyone experiences love in different ways. Tread lightly if someone you care about shows signs of TMS so they won’t feel like they’re being judged. And have them watch an episode of HIMYM to see if they'd connect with Mosby!

Know other signs of TMS? Share in a comment below!