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The Difficulties of Dating
Are you unsure of what kind of love you are looking for? Or perhaps you only wish to know what type of relationship you are in?
Sometimes you are looking for a private and personal love, committed to “the one,” but they are up for casually seeing multiple people at a time.
Often, you are not happy, but for the sake of your partner, you stay, and when the subject comes up, both of you ultimately end up hurt.
To stop this from happening, you should be clear about your expectations from the beginning, so neither of you has to bite the bullet.
But before any of the drama starts, here are a few kinds of dating that can help you identify what type of a relationship you are in – which will help to navigate those tricky situations.
So, whether you or your partner are looking for marriage or whether it’s just a hot fling, keep reading to find out about 15 different types of dating.
1. Not Yet Committed
You know the thrill of riding a rollercoaster for the very first time, or the very first bite out of a funny-looking meal, just like that casual dating is all about testing the waters.
You aren’t certain if they are the right person for you just yet, but you enjoy their company, nonetheless.
You hang out, go on dates, spend a great deal of time together but aren’t ready for the commitment yet.
There’s no rush. Take your time, try to get to know each other. Grab a coffee, visit a bookstore…the opportunities are endless.
Think about it, do their jokes still make you laugh, or have you gotten bored of all the cheesy pick-up lines they use?
And, hey, after all that time, even if you decide they aren’t the right one, you can remain good friends.
2. “I Like Your Memes.”
It’s the 21st century – the era of technology. Social media is everything, and online dating is what all the buzz is about.
Many dating sites have been launched for this purpose, and you perhaps already have a few dating profiles set up, all ready to catch the person of your dreams.
A single swipe to the right determines your next potential mate. You talk, meet up, and grab lunch together.
The ship is sailing. Now, it is all up to you. Be particular about what you want.
If you want to dive deeper into something more serious or keep meeting up for lunch occasionally, it’s your call.
3. Long-Distance Relationship
Your partner moves to a different state, hours and hours away from you and the notification *ding* that has their name is your holy grail. Instead of calling it quits, you decide this is the perfect opportunity to see if your love can hold through the toils that come with distance.
“Distance will tear us apart!” or “How do you know they’re even honest with you?”
There’s a buzz of all these doubts swarming your head, but fear not. Most long-distance relationships end up a great success.
Just remember, communication is the key (yes, the one key) that unlocks a great future, and traveling a few miles to meet up will keep your love blooming.
4. The “High-School Sweetheart.”
Most of us encounter our “first love” when we’re mere teenagers.
More often than not, our “high-school beloved” whose eyes light up our entire world, without whom the world seems dull, is our first love.
With them, we have our “firsts” – our first kiss, our first fights, our first love.
High-school sweethearts usually don’t end up together (well, the lucky ones do, but we’re not talking about that).
But that doesn’t mean you give up. Eventually, someone will come along who will stick by your side through thick and thin.
Don’t lose faith after your first love ends; keep trying. After all, there’s plenty of fish in the sea.
5. The Wingman
Your friends call you in the middle of the night, announcing they have found you the perfect match – so good that they set you up, right on the spot.
As much as you want to stand them up, you are curious who your wingman (or wingwoman) found.
Usually, blind dates are thought of as a last resort. But you’re feeling desperate.
Don’t let the idea of finding your person through a blind date bum you out. Maybe your dearest was always going to come to you in this way.
6. Swinging
Swinging may or may not be part of your and your partner’s lifestyle. It may be something you experiment with or something that is a large part of your relationship.
But swinging is only fun if you and your partner are clear on your expectations and ground rules. So, discuss your boundaries beforehand and make sure to communicate.
If there’s something you don’t like, be vocal about it.
Ensure your intentions are clear and you are aware of what your partner wants so that neither of you ends up hurt.
7. My Best Friend
With no sexual desires or intentions, platonic dating is all about friendship. Bromance, romance, and work spouses are all some type of platonic relationship.
Platonic dates are both excellent for the mind and building networks.
Do not fear if you start to fall for your friend. It’s natural – and perfectly all right –for you to be attracted to them. If it escalates, so be it.
Just remember to have fun.
Another type of platonic dating is when neither you nor your partner wants to indulge in any sexual activity and wait until after marriage.
Many serious couples also engage in these platonic relationships.
A word of advice from us would be not to let the expectations of sex come in the way of your relationship after you are married.
8. “You Remind Me of My Ex.”
Many of us tend to get over heartbreak by putting ourselves in situations that we are not ready for, and it usually happens to be another relationship.
Signs that indicate that you are in a rebound include your partner talking about their ex all the time or you spending most of your time together doing endless sessions of wham bam thank you, ma’am.
A rebound works just fine if executed correctly.
If not, the best course of action would be to tell yourself to slow down, take a break, and tell your partner to take a break. Let them know if you have feelings for them and feel like a rebound.
If things still don’t work out, it’s best to let them go.
9. Dates Are Fun
Life is too short; why not just have fun? But you only want to meet people with no strings attached. In fact, there’s nothing wrong with dating for fun.
You don’t want to settle, you feel too young to talk about marriage and commitment, and it’s perfectly fine.
Just make sure to be upfront and let the other person know that you aren’t looking for anything too serious and just dating is fine.
This way, neither you have to live with the guilt of turning them down when they have fallen head over heels for you.
10. “Guys, I Was Drunk, Okay.”
One-night stands are, as most people say, “I was drunk, and it was a mistake.”
Most people engage in one-night stands when they are not ready for the next relationship but miss the action.
Let’s face it, you drink a little too much, and that handsome guy or beautiful gal in the corner seemed too good to pass up.
While most one-night stands are not positive experiences for people – by any stretch of the imagination, it’s absolutely fine if you enjoy them.
The key is not to let your one-night stand connect to you; that defeats the purpose.
Make sure to keep safe and treat yourself every once in a while.
11. Speed Dating
Usually, speed dates are arranged by companies, and within the span of a few minutes, you meet several partners to see with whom you are most compatible.
Not many people on these dates come out as couples; it’s usually just a fun way to meet new people.
Speed dating comes with a lot less pressure than normal dates.
The whole point of a speed date is to reduce the awkwardness of a first date, so you don’t have to bear with your partner for too long if you don’t like them, and you’ll make loads of new friends.
12. My Parents Wanted Me to Meet You
Arranged dates aren’t very common now, but sometimes your parents set you up with your new partner.
This is often the case with an arranged marriage, where sometimes you only get to see your spouse for the first time on your wedding day.
Most people now prefer to choose their own partners, but most arranged marriages end up just like love marriages.
This type of dating has a high success rate and was very common till the 18th century.
However, the success rate depends mostly on who selected your partner for you, which are usually your parents.
13. Away from Town
Flings sometimes mean you are cheating on your partner.
You are away from your home, be it for work or personal business, and you decide to catch a break with someone else while your partner waits at home for you.
A fling is mostly sexual, only for a small period, never to be contacted again or talked about.
Flings are okay if both of you are aware and consent to them. But one-sided feelings will always end up a mess.
You’ll know it’s a fling when there’s no emotional attachment or investment post-sex.
14. Commitment
More serious dating is referred to as a commitment. When you have met the love of your life and have settled down.
Their love is reserved only for you and yours for them. You don’t see the purpose in meeting anyone else, and the both of you have planned your future together.
Most signs for a serious relationship are meeting each other’s families, planning your futures together, their investment in your life, and yours in theirs.
Your partner will be clear about what they expect from you, and you too will be obvious about your expectations from them.
15. Friends with Benefits
A sexual relationship with one of your friends without the romantic aspect involved is known as friends-with-benefits.
The most obvious signs of this relationship are no check-in calls, only meeting for sex, minimal effort in anything, and no exclusive hanging out.
Sometimes friends-with-benefits end up together too. Keep an eye out for your partner falling for you.
You’ll have your moments; you’ll be willing to listen to each other and help out at times. If you think you are both falling for each other, shoot your shot. You never know what could happen.
Is a relationship the same as dating?
A relationship is a commitment to one person only, whereas dating means seeing different people simultaneously.
Dating does not entail exclusivity, but a relationship is all about loyalty.
What are the stages of dating?
There are five stages of dating, from acquaintances to spouses:
- Attraction
- Curiosity/infatuation
- Becoming a couple
- Commitment
- Marriage
What are the major categories of dating?
There are three main definitions of dating types:
- Dating for work
- Dating for fun
- Dating for love or marriage
