When does dating become a relationship? Dating becomes a relationship when it is no longer about excitement or sex but about love. I think it depends on the individual, but I also think people make a mistake...
I think it depends on the individual, but I also think people make a mistake when they go on a few dates and decide that they are in love. When somebody goes out on 10 dates in the span of 10 days they sort of get stuck together like glue. They see each other constantly and interact constantly thinking that they are speeding up their relationship when in fact, they are making a mistake, because the best way to get to know somebody is to get to know them over time. 10 dates over a period of 10 weeks gives you more information than 10 dates in 10 days. I think it takes about three months. See each other once or twice a week and be on phone a little bit for about three months before you determine whether it is a relationship and whether you want to move forward or not. Three months seems to be the critical time when all of the pretenses go away. After three months, people can't keep up their pretense and sort of go back to their regular lives. That is the point where you'll find out who the person really is and make a decision.
People get so excited when a relationship might happen that they forget to slow down and really think about their future. Would this person make a good long term partner? I would say 90% of people get into that high, but maybe 70% of people get into a relationship, because they want a lifetime partner and they forget to think about that. They get caught up in the excitement and the joy of dating, and while it's great to be in that stage, they also need to take time to just think about whether this person would make a good lifetime partner and what kind of issues they are likely to have crop up down the road. When someone is excited about finding a person who actually likes them, it is mainly just the physical attraction that they are excited about. It is not just about sex. It is about being liked for the person that you are. There is a basic need to belong and to be affirmed, so that's what happens when people meet each other and have physical attraction. When they start to move into the relationship, they get lost and think it's all going to work out wonderfully. Sometimes it does, and sometimes it doesn't.
