Case of the ex

So, I've heard on multiple occasions that the Holy Grail of breakups is, essentially, when your ex-whatever A) goes bat-shit crazy and embarks on a bold-faced downward spiral without you, B) turns out to have found a new significant other and that person turns out to be mentally retarded and/or heinous, or C) some poignant combination of the two. This is kind of true. If someone catapults into a slippery slope of FAIL as soon as you're out of their life, it's a good, public, undeniable affirmation that you're totally integral to all things good. That's nice. People will make those OH WOW HE/SHE REALLY NEEDED HIS/HER INTELLIGENCE/TALENT/ENCOURAGEMENT TO GO ON THIS IS SAD comments, which basically throws the upper hand into your lap, and, in general, it creates a useful nadir against which to contrast your own burgeoning success (hopefully).

Then there's the downside. You will rarely find something so undermining to your sense of intelligence, judgment, and all things sane. You'll go from marvelling at how someone can do a 180 to wondering glumly whether it was a 180 at all or whether you, in fact, were using decision making skills that were challenged at best. When someone remarks for the fiftieth time that they saw that poor soul snorting coke off a speeding ticket in a low-income apartment or what-the-fuck-ever, you're going to wonder how you didn't sense that inner crazy by the third date. You're going to wonder how he/she got that one by you, and you're going to start to wonder if you're missing similar signals in the people you date nowadays. You're going to get really wary around your date the next few weekends, eying them like their inner crackwhore is about to jump out and stab you with a stiletto at any moment. It gets stressful.

While I'll agree with other sources that there's a moment of AHA! KARMA GOTCHUUUU! to be had upon realization of your ex catching the train to crazy town, it quickly turns into a reality-altering nightmare. If you can't accurately choose a non-nutjob long-term mate,  can you make a good decision while you're car-shopping? Can you pick up on your dog sitter's sense of responsibility or lack thereof? Can you tell a scam when it brings its hearing impaired bowling league donation cup to your door? CAN YOU DO ANYTHING EVER??!!!??