The line can get blurry when trying to figure out if your beau is serious about your relationship or if it is simply a fling. Marking time is the worst form of existence there is, and hanging out captures this idea fully. Spending ample time with newfound partners found online is one thing, while discussing barriers means you are transition into a relationship.
These barriers could be regarding no sexual advances, and thus are likely to be hanging out. However, if a couple is making waves online and love connections are palpable, they may decide to be mutually exclusive. It means you are no longer hanging out and are now dating. It is a thin line between dating vs hanging out. Adequately defining these lines remains the couple’s responsibility.
Equally important is making these barriers known beforehand or mentioning the relationship types sought. For instance, online dating creates love connections seamlessly, but this is contingent on preferences. If one seeks friendships, highlighting these on profiles is important. Alternatively, if they are looking for a partner for a serious relationship, transparency is important too.
Having transitioned from online chatting and flirting, perhaps on IAmNaughty, one might wonder what to call their new relationship. When like-minded men and women meet, be it on or offline, sparks fly. The emotions therein usually lead to mind-blowing sexual instances and long-term relationships.
During the early stages of your relationship, it might be unclear what status to post on your social media handle. If, for instance, your partner introduces you ceremoniously as a friend, you are hanging out. However, bringing up your name while introducing might hint at something more.
Having planned your first meetup with a like-minded woman or man, you might consider it a date while they feel it is practically hanging out. There are a few surefire ways to know you are dating:
She, or he, takes time to look presentable and is time conscientious in the process. There is no doubt that they were meticulous in selecting an outfit, even if they call it this old thing. A date involves leaving the house, attending social events, and introducing exciting introductions to every Tom, Dick, and Harry.
A date is planned meticulously, including climate, attire, eateries to visit and bars to avoid, and what to wear. Planning meetups takes longer than it would between you and friends, then it is a date.
A date might require setting time aside to meet like-minded partners. Hanging out might simply involve squeezing someone in, based on free hours or off-work hours.
For those on the outside looking in, how to tell if it’s a date or just friends might be easier than you think. But, if you cannot decide if your partner considers you a date or a buddy, here are a few tips on the same.
Take time to ask your partner if you are indeed dating or hanging out. It sounds corny, perhaps lame, but it removes elements of surprise. Other ways of telling if it is a date include location. At times, friends might hang out in pubs, playing arcade games, or even movie-watching. When a girl invites you to a family event or a guy invites you home and cooks, it likely to be a date.
Signs of romance include candlelit dinners, meetups on Valentine’s Day, remembering birthdays, and taking you out for dinner. Also, and equally important is making time to schedule luncheons or dinners with you. A friend rarely takes time off their busy schedule to hang out unless you are a BFF, which doesn’t require much preparation.
Imagine you’ve met online, on IAmNaughty, and have been chatting and flirting. If you feel friend-zoned, let your partner in on your relationship needs. It is important to specify your needs from the onset to eliminate chances of being friend-zoned. There are, however, relationships that grow quickly from friendships to lovers:
Stop making excuses not to meet. Instead, make time to hang out, eat together, remember birthdays, and flirt cautiously. With time, your partner will get the hint and either embrace the dating idea or disclose their feelings.
It is easier to find like-minded people online, so make use of profile creations to capture people for dating purposes. Steer clear of flings, and attract the right people seeking dating, as opposed to hanging out.
Knowing if you are dating vs hanging out could not be harder at a younger age, but surprisingly, it can get tricky when you get older too. People are not too keen to put a status on relationships, preferring to call their situations complicated. However, there are surefire ways to know you have found a serious partner and are in it for the long haul.
He calls you by your name while introducing friends, hinting that you are more than friends. If your date never introduces you as a friend, you are dating. Guys can be shy and unsure whether calling you a girlfriend is befitting. Not calling you a friend is a subtle way of implying you are in.
If you visit his home and attempts cleaning up, whatever that means to him, you are likely dating. However, he may be seeking transitioning from friend zone to dating, hence the meticulous preparations. When you are hanging out, you watch whatever is on.
Dating involves remembering your partner’s favorite shows, her pet peeves when it comes to cleaning up, eating habits et al., as well as anniversaries.
Ever show up, and instead of lights being on, it is candles? Then it is a date. No man, or woman for that matter, cares much for candles, especially while eating. Settings requiring meticulous preparations and soothing music are signs you are dating.
This transition can be blurry, but some instances utter out loud, we are dating. If you’ve moved from random meetups and are having scheduled luncheons, at favorite spots, eating specific meals, it might be that you are dating. There are certain characteristics inherent in dates and very intimate friendships.
So you wanted to know when your partner decides that you are dating and what qualifies as a date? If she, or he, planned your meetup for weeks and insisted you make reservations, perhaps even canceling other events, you are dating. Dating revolves around making sacrifices, so pay attention to favorite events being canceled to meet up with you.
The day you move from meeting at her spot, where the cat gives you allergies, to meeting at her parents’ place, you are dating. Anytime she brings up her mom or dad or siblings while you are together, chances are you are no longer hanging out.
Two people on a date share like-minded ideas while taking strolls hand-in-hand. Rarely does hanging out involve holding hands. There might be instances of flirting or insistence on finding private hang-out spots. Incidentally, your partner’s insistence on spending intimate moments in booths, or quiet restaurants, probably signifies dating. She plans on having as much time with you as possible.
So what constitutes a date? It boils down to the preparations and time spent making sure one’s partner is comfortable. A date will inevitably have some intimacy, be it the environment, the attire, or even accessories. Lastly, two people on a date almost always let the world know who they are with on that afternoon or evening.
