There is something about dating that a lot of men and women—those who are still young at heart, and, even those that are young once—get excited about. Also, it doesn’t matter if it’s in a face-to-face setting or between people who are miles apart and just connected by wires. What matters for those who are looking forward to knowing more about the other person or getting to see the face behind the texts and the sounds, is the euphoria of getting to meet the other person who had opened up the possibility of having a more stable relationship, and not just the casual “hi” and “hello,” and exchanges that never really go deeper than the inconsequential.
Should you go out on a date? Personally, I don’t see anything wrong with dating. Especially these days that dating can mean different things to different people. For example, friends of the same sexual category may go out together and call it “dating.” Friends from the opposite sex stay out for dinner—that’s also dating. Husbands and wives celebrating their anniversaries also go out on a date.
As you can see, labeling something is different from the “experience” that personalities involved in the interaction incorporate in the setting (in this case, dating per se), which may make it acceptable and gratifying or otherwise.
However, you may want to call it, dating serves two purposes. First, to know more about the person you are in a relationship with and ascertain whether the other person is fit for the long-term relationship you are visualizing (for those who are still in the early stages of the relationship); and, second, to invigorate an existing connection (for those who are in a more stable relationship.
As this is the case, there is risk involved, especially for those who are not yet fully aware of the intent of the person who had initiated the interaction or for those who were invited to go out by someone whom they just met some days back, had a chat with, or those who had exchanged a couple of email messages with them. We also cannot disregard reports of abuse that typically takes place in dating.
It would be a smart thing to think about these things:
1. Who you would be going out with?
2. How well do you know the other person?
3. Where is the other person inviting you to go to?
4. Is there any other person who knows where you are going?
5. Have you given the other person a hint to know that someone else knows where you are and what you are doing at the moment?
Dating can be fun and exciting, especially if you are going out with someone you have already established a strong and meaningful relationship. But if you should go out on a date with someone you just met online or had seen only a few times, you should consider thinking about the questions mentioned earlier before finally deciding.
