My Thoughts, Numbered

5 males and 5 females were asked the question, “What is your definition of dating?” and this is their answers in no particular order:

“A mutual agreement between two people not to see anyone else.”

“When you talk to someone for a while and have been on a couple dates together. When you start to hang out almost everyday.”

“Dating is when you have asked the person out. That means you shouldn’t be “talking” to others leading them on. Sure you can hang out and talk to as many FRIENDS as you like, but you have to make sure they know you guys are friends and that you aren’t trying to date them.”

“Two people who both care about each other and only want to be with each other.”

“When a guy and a girl like each other enough to want more than just friends, but it’s not that serious yet.”

“Hm… I think dating is different than a relationship. Dating is a form of getting to know someone to see if they have the possible attributes it would acquire to be in an actual committed relationship with that person. It’s simply “hanging out, and enjoying each other’s company.”

”There’s dating as in going on dates, and dating as in boyfriend and girlfriend. I don’t mind either usage, and I say both of them. I guess there’s the pop culture/TV show kind of way. It just has different meanings to different people so it’s hard to say anything definitively. I wouldn’t say I was dating someone unless I was committed to them, but I don’t date more than one person at a time. Dating comes with some level of commitment to whoever you’re dating. In my case, I wouldn’t say it unless I considered them my boyfriend/girlfriend.”

“It’s basically learning what you like in someone, and building a relationship with that person, and eventually finding out who you love.”

“Occasionally hanging out and enjoying another person’s company.”

“Having someone to be there for you in the tough stuff and the fun stuff. Being able to depend on them when you need something and having someone to love and them to love you back.”

Since I have asked everyone for their opinion on the subject, and have had deep discussions with others, I feel I should give my feelings on the matter.

Dating is such a broad word that it has multiple meanings. There’s the “flirdating” stage, or as high schoolers like to call “talking.” You can talk to other people. You aren’t held down by a specific relationship. You’re playing the field, see who is out there, meeting new people! Then there’s the getting to know each other stage. Now you are tied down to them, more dedicated to who they are, and you get to know each other without any physical connection. (I find it funny that no one that answered ever mentioned kissing or going any farther than that while dating, when it seems to me that everyone makes a huge deal about the physical side of relationships more than the social aspect in today’s world.) At this point it’s unfair to see anyone else. That’s leading them on and at some point you’re going to have to choose one or the other, and it’s considered cheating. Once you think you know that you want to go farther into this other person’s life, it’s time to put a label on things. Now you ask to become more serious and if they will be you’ll boyfriend/girlfriend. If they aren’t okay with labels then does that mean they are ashamed to be anything to you. Labels in this case are a good thing, not bad. From then on you are attached until you are ready for the bigger commitment of marriage. At any time it’s okay to break things off. If you aren’t into it fully, then there’s no reason for you to be in it at all.

That sums up dating for me. It can be simple, and it can be intense. It’s such a tricky and fickle thing. Thanks to everyone you contributed their opinion and helped me better understand things.