What is dating?

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My his is probably a dumb question, but What do people mean when they use the word "dating"? What is a date?

Actually, I think it's a great question, and more people should ask it of each other.
People have all sorts of different ideas about dating, and disagree about things like:
What constitutes a date? Is it a date if each person pays for him/herself? Is it a date if you meet for coffee?
If you are dating someone, does that mean you don't date other people?
People also have different ideas about the purpose of dating - some people date to have a good time and meet new people, or to have casual sex. Other people date to find a spouse. Still other people date with no clear intention.

In the end, the only people whose opinions about dating matter are your own and the person or people you want to date.

It is something two people do to figure out if they like each other, and if you have something in common, you go from there. some have personal goals. It is important to have No expectations.

I look at a date as an appointment you make with someone to learn more about that person. It is a way for at least one person to express interest in the other. And by "interest," I mean find out what things interest the other person, i.e. hobbies, recreational activities, religion, philosophy, academic interests or ambitions, career, favorite color, favorite food, favorite book(s)/author(s), and, well, pretty much anything else the other person thinks is cool. There is no need whatsoever to assume that going out with someone will lead to a LTR or a sexual encounter. Rather, the only expectation you should have of dating is to simply become better acquainted with members of the opposite sex.

Now, what's going to happen eventually if you become well-enough acquainted with a number of motos is you'll meet a few you find attractive, and a few of THOSE will actually reciprocate. THAT will ultimately lead to a LTR and/or sex, but you're not going to get there with someone who doesn't know you well enough to trust you. And he/she isn't going to trust someone who doesn't seem genuinely interested in him/her. The best thing you can do in dating is to leave the expectations at home and have a great bowling night.

What is dating? A lesson in futility

baby don't hurt me
don't hurt me
no more

A date is BS. It's a social event between two people, usually a man and a woman (can be same man and man or woman and woman) who don't know each other that well where they meet up for an activity, dinner, a movie, a drink at a bar to learn to know each other a little better with the intention of becoming BF and GF... In reality it's something hypocritical, it's just something that people do in order to get in each other pants.

I'd go with this but add "like each other romantically", as opposed to as a friend etc.

I call "a date" and "dating" slightly different things though. "A date" is the above, the getting together for some sort of activity to work out if there is a mutual attraction. "Dating" is when two people continue to do activities together but aren't an official couple yet...they have probably established that there is an attraction but are still building up to the relationship part.

It's where you meet someone to determine if there's mutual romantic interest, and afterwards they reject you.

Dating is what happens when two people meet because they enjoy each other's company, and the meeting turns into a romantic level of interest.

It has a slightly different meaning in the UK than US.

Dating in the UK also covers "going steady". Where as "going on (a) date(s)" is the act of dating.

we used to call it courting at one time, its basically another term for when your seeing someone as boyfriend and girlfriend.You arrange a date, eg time place date and then if all goes well on the day then you are past the date and into the full on dating. people have different ways of expressing themselves by calling it dating, courting, going out, stepping out, courting. To me it seems to imply a less serious relationship or maybe the early stages like dipping your toe in the water then you progress to a relationship. Its all just semantics really.

Thanks for all the responses