The 4 Stages of Dating
In human interaction, dating is just a means to an end. That end for most people is a relationship or the point where you become lovers or a couple. Before dating can advance into a relationship, you will inevitably go through the 4 stages of dating.
The 4 Stages of Dating
Awkwardness
At this point, everything is awkward because you are probably strangers to each other and everything comes impromptu. From the moment the guy gathers the courage to go ask the girl out on a date, there is awkwardness in the manner in which the guy asks and there is an almost equal awkwardness in the manner in which the girl accepts this invitation.
The first date can be very daunting because your nerves get in the way of you being yourself and all of a sudden every little thing matters and your senses are so heightened that you might just forget to pay attention to the actual date and the person right in front of you.
This stage continues over dates to come and it lingers until you two have spent so much time together that you can now be relaxed and comfortable in each other’s presence, which is probably some ways off the make-or-break third date. From the first date to the first kiss to even the first night you spend together in bed, there is a bundle of awkwardness that awaits, and this is only overcome over time.
Some people who click naturally or have very good chemistry right off the bat can get over this stage of awkwardness in the first three dates, for some people, it’s much longer. It’s really difficult to specify a timeline as to how long it lasts.
Comfort
Ultimately when all the awkwardness subsides or you start to get used to it, you begin to feel very comfortable with each other. This stage comes right after the first stage and can actually last till death do you part provided nothing terrible goes wrong along the way. This is so because comfort is not fueled by passion or lust but by understanding and understanding can only improve over time so the more time you spend together the more comfortable you are with each other.
The Honeymoon Phase
This phase is the point where you can’t get enough of each other. It usually starts right when the relationship gets physical. Even after the first kiss, to the array of kisses to follow, to fondling, and eventually to sleeping together, you just can’t get enough of each other. Lust tips the scale and you are like two very horny rabbits. So much so that you become annoying to people close to you. This phase will eventually fade away gradually and settle into what is now your relationship.
The Relationship
At the point where you begin to care for the well-being of your lover beyond just her physical and sexual needs, so many other factors begin to weigh in on your relationship and you have no choice but to slow things down because all of a sudden there’s all this baggage that needs to be dealt with on a daily basis.
The interesting thing about the honeymoon phase is that it can be reignited for a very short time at various intervals if you both decide to do something different or go someplace far away and take a break from the day-to-day rigors of your life together.
As far as a timeline goes for the stages of dating, nothing is set in concrete. People are very different from each other and take different amounts of time to process and adapt to certain situations. One can only estimate how long it will take the typical couple to get through these stages.
The stage of awkwardness usually only lasts up to the second date or third date but you can certainly speed up the process by concentrating on fun dates rather than a sit-down meal. By the third date, there is very little awkwardness. The stage of comfort can last a lifetime. And the honeymoon stage lasts for a very short time compared to the actual lifespan of the relationship. It can last anywhere from two weeks to several months after the first kiss.
There you have it people, next time you’re regularly dating someone, see if you notice the transition from one stage to the other!
Happy Dating,
The Frequent Dater