Casual Dating VS Serious Dating

Dating is a way for us all to be connected.  People date at various ages and have different goals.  Some people date casually and do not want the demanding commitment of a relationship while others date seriously and want that commitment from the other person for a long-term goal of marriage.  Casual and serious dating both have a good side and a bad side depending on the goals of the dater. 

Casual dating offers the flexibility of meeting different types of people.  A person who likes to go out and be surrounded by friends will usually go for the casual setting in dating. The freedom of no commitment holds the appeal of a stress-free relationship.  No expectations from either person means no hurt feelings if the relationship does not develop into a more serious commitment.  Both adults entering a casual relationship do need to establish rules. All relationships have rules.

Casual relationships are free of commitment therefore no one person is dependent on another for companionship.  The freedom to have dinner, go to a movie, go to a party or have sexual relations with anyone means that person will always have someone.  There are cons to a casual relationship. 

Cons of Casual Dating

Cons are negative impacts one or both in the relationship experience.  In casual relationships stronger feelings often develop in one of the participants with no reciprocation from the other person.  This can cause hurt feelings and resentment because feelings are not progressing in the relationship and it then becomes a one-sided relationship that can be a wild card of what will happen.  

People can be very passionate about their feelings and some will get their feelings hurt and act out when romantic feelings are not returned by another person.  Feelings of having wasted time and money on someone who didn’t return romantic feelings can be a problem in a casual relationship and lead to a decision of no longer seeing each other.

In a sexually active casual relationship the cons are disease transmission.  Having sex with more than one person, even with protection, can lead to transmitting Sexual Transmitted Diseases (STD).   These unwanted consequences can follow you from partner to partner and not be cured. Don’t be afraid to ask questions about your partner’s sexual health if you are going to enter a sexual relationship. 

Once people add sexual contact to the relationship, it is easy for a person to fall in love.  If you think you are falling in love, the best rule to follow is to wait before you confess your love to the other person.  Give the relationship a month or two before you profess your love to the other person and know that the relationship will change or dissolve with your confession.

Serious Dating

Serious dating are monogamous dating relationships.  These committed relationships have a marriage goal in the mix.  These two factors can add stress to the relationship because they demand a great deal of attention from both participants. On the good side, there will always be someone to have dinner with, go to a movie with and you don’t have to worry about STD.

Couples have vested interests in a serious relationship with marriage being the goal.  Getting to know your partner is taken seriously and working through issues is a priority.  Communication skills are important and couples often will work on this to improve the relationship. 

Working through the stress of a serious relationship will let the couple know if they are ready for marriage and a family.  If cheating occurs during a serious relationship, they should put a hold on the relationship and casual date until they are ready for the commitment of a serious relationship. 

People will sometimes jump into a serious relationship without thinking it through.  Monogamous dating is different from serious dating.  Monogamous dating means you only date one person and serious dating means you date only one person, but you have marriage as the goal of the relationship.

Most people start out dating casually and then progress to a serious relationship.  Very few people start out in a serious relationship.  Couples who have known each other for years may enter a serious relationship and skip the casual dating. People need to get to know each other and communicate in order to keep any relationship going strong.  This does take work and if the relationship is something you want; you will work hard at communicating with each other.

Tags: #seriousdating #relationships #marriage #casualdating #love