It depends. I know it is not really an answer, but that is the reality of the situation. There are a lot of factors at play in a friends-versus-boyfriend cage match, and it takes some time to figure out if your boyfriend and your friends can cooperate (as Sesame Street told us to), safely occupy different parts of the playground or completely divide your life in two. How close are you to your friends? Is he the one? Where are those two seemingly separate parts of your life going? How likely are they to grow up?

If you see your friends as an ongoing and integral part of your life, you are already painting yourself into a bit of a corner if tolerance is in short supply. We inevitably drift somewhat from our friends as our lives become more focused on our partners. This isn’t to say that you don’t see your friends anymore, but you may find yourselves having less time for each other. In this situation, boyfriend-versus-friend animosity may burn itself out on the backburner. However, if you are inseparable from your friends neither your man nor your friends are likely to find the necessary breathing space they require to overcome those painful doses of each other. Bad chemistry always has bad outcomes if it mixes for too long.

Of course, you need to ask yourself if he is really worth hanging on to. Make sure you have good reasons before you sacrifice your friendships for Mr. Not-So-Terrific-After-All.

You may also learn interesting things about your partner and friends in a situation like this. Are they as tolerant and wonderful as you thought they were if they cannot respect the people in your life who are important to you? Take a step back and look at it all as human drama where each of your friends and boyfriend is playing a role. Is it a poorly written soap opera, or an intense drama? This might help you figure out where the situation is headed and if there is anything you can do about it. Sometimes disassociating yourself from your role can reveal things you might not see if you are on stage with the rest of them.