I’m sure we have all asked ourselves this one question at least once in our lives… Why do people date? Why do we feel the need to find someone we’ll build that emotional connection with?
And? Were you ever able to find the right answer to that question? I’m sure you weren’t, but today is your lucky day because that answer is about to be revealed in this article.
However, a more important question you need to know the answer to is, “Why should people engage in romantic relationships?” And there is only one reason for that: love, of course.
If your reason is anything other than that, you should really reconsider your relationship. Otherwise, you’ll never be able to maintain a meaningful relationship with your partner or any other person.
Why Do People Date: 13 Reasons
Without further ado, I present you this list of the most common and frequent reasons why people date.
1. Fulfilling emotional needs
We are all emotional human beings with our own emotional needs. Among those needs, to love and to be loved are the most important.
We all want to find our other half, someone who will complete us. It’s just a part of our nature and something our hearts deeply long for.
Other emotional needs we fulfill through dating relationships are feeling connected, the sense of belonging to someone, and being supported, appreciated, understood, and respected.
I mainly date because of these reasons, and I hope that most other people do too. I hope that one day, I’ll find the kind of relationship that will make me feel like I’m on cloud nine… To find that one person who’ll love me unselfishly and unconditionally and be able to fulfill all of my needs. And, of course, I’ll try to reciprocate in the same way.
2. Getting the understanding and support we all need
Close relations and dating allow people to connect to each other and make one another feel understood and appreciated. And we all know how much those things really mean to all of us.
It’s such a relief to know you have someone you can send a text message to in the middle of the night or simply whenever you feel bad or need someone to talk to.
It’s even better to know you can always count on that person understanding because you know they’re the last one who would dare to judge you. They may not always justify your actions, but they’ll definitely try to find a way to understand them, all in the name of the love they feel for you.
3. Dating as a self-esteem boost
The truth is, we all enter the dating world as young adults in high school, and in those times, we all struggle a bit with fragile self-esteem. However, all of that changes once we get into adult dating life, improve our social skills and find that one person who motivates us to be happier about our own life.
The first time you notice your dating partner doesn’t positively affect your self-esteem, you should stop dating them. Sooner or later, it’ll turn into a toxic type of relationship, and you’ll end up hurt or lose your self-esteem completely.
4. Taking care of your social life
Some people date simply because they want to meet new people and keep their social life flourishing. Of course, that can never happen if you don’t put yourself out there in the dating scene and be open to meeting new people.
Those kinds of people have perfect social skills and find dating extremely fun and interesting. They spend all of their free time on different dating apps, searching for new dating partners.
They’re particularly interested in dating sites that offer double or group dates because they find it a perfect opportunity to meet a lot of new people and expand their circle of friends and acquaintances.
5. Trying to understand and get to know the opposite sex
This is a very interesting reason why people date. Some of us simply use dating to meet the opposite sex and discover what their preferences, perspectives, and ways of thinking are.
It might be out of simple curiosity or because they think it would help them build and maintain a healthy relationship with someone of the opposite sex.
6. Fear of loneliness
Let’s admit it, we are all afraid of being alone and lonely. And it’s definitely the most common reason why people date and engage in relationships.
Most (or I would even say all) single people feel very bad on Valentine’s Day and other important holidays because it’s when we realize that we are all alone, and it scares us as hell.
You shouldn’t hide or deny it. Sharing our lives with another person is simply a part of our nature, and we all want to feel that we belong to someone and have that person belongs to us too.
Relatives, family members, friends… Yes, all those people are also part of our lives, but having your person, that one person who is ALWAYS there for you no matter what, is a completely different story, and we all deserve to have that kind of person in our lives.
7. Feeling of safety
Whether we want to admit it or not, we all long for stability and security in life. Meaning, we all want to find that one person who will make us feel safe.
We want to be able to open up and connect with them emotionally. We want to build a home with them, an area that will be safe for us and for our future family too.
8. The thrill of online dating
You may not understand it, but some people are into online dating. They simply like to spend time on different dating apps and meet new people.
I don’t quite understand it, but we all have to admit that there is some kind of magic in first dates. Every time you go out on a first date with someone, you have those butterflies in your stomach because you simply don’t know how it’ll go.
And, of course, that moment when you get your crush’s phone number and those first phone calls and text messages can’t be compared to anything else. Then you agree to get together and meet in person, and that strange excitement mixed with nervousness you feel until you finally meet them simply can’t be described in words.
9. To enjoy premarital sex
Some people are afraid of commitment, and that’s why they don’t indulge in serious relationships. However, they have physical needs and want to enjoy premarital sex, which becomes one of the main reasons they date other people: to get physical pleasure.
Even though some people and cultures still consider premarital sex taboo, it has become a completely normal and acceptable thing in the modern world. That’s why it’s no wonder it also finds its place on our list of reasons why people date.
10. A way of meeting a possible life partner
Why do people date? The answer is actually quite simple because most of us date hoping we’ll find our soulmate that way.
You can’t know on the first date whether that person is the right one for you. That’s why you date them, get to know them a bit deeper, and the time helps you realize whether they’re really your soulmate or not.
Dating was a positive experience for a lot of people because it helped them find their life partner. I hope you and I will be able to say that one day too.
11. Trying to forget the ex they still love
Some of us spend (waste) so much time jumping from relationship to relationship, trying to forget an ex we are still in love with. However, that’s not how things work, and it’s definitely never the right way to delete someone from our hearts or minds.
If you’re struggling with past relationship baggage, the best dating tip you’ll ever get is to give yourself time. Don’t immediately jump into a new relationship hoping it’ll help you get rid of your feelings and forget about your ex.
Trust me, it won’t. It may postpone your pain for a bit, but it’ll come back to haunt you, that’s for sure. On the other hand, if you give yourself the proper time to grieve and confront your feelings, I’m sure you’ll find a way to deal with them in the right way.
12. Social status
There are some people who care deeply about social status, and their life goal is to be rich, famous, and have a great lifestyle.
If they can’t achieve it by themselves, they’ll try to get it through their romantic partner. They’ll start dating someone of a higher social status, and they think that will allow them to achieve all of their life goals and dreams.
13. Financial reasons
Unfortunately, this is the most awful reason why people date, and the worst thing is that it’s also very common. Dating someone for money is wrong because, believe me, money can never give you sincere happiness or true love.
Some people understand this sooner or later, but unfortunately, some never do and keep choosing the wrong partners because of it. And as long as they don’t understand this, they will never be truly happy. Also, they will never be able to find their soulmate, which is the saddest thing of all.
Why Is It Important To Date?
God created us in pairs, and the best proof of that is Adam and Eve. He wanted us all to have our soulmates, our life partners, the people we’re going to share and spend the rest of our lives with.
He didn’t want us to be alone and lonely. God knows that being single is hard, especially as you get older. That is why He made a soulmate for each and every single one of us.
Also, dating has a positive impact on all spheres of our lives. It also affects our mental, emotional, and physical health.
In fact, the main purpose of dating is to make people feel like they aren’t alone. To make us feel like we always have that one person, our partner, we can count on, no matter what.
What Should You Not Do When Dating?
There are some things you shouldn’t do when you’re in a relationship with another person. Not only because that person might break up with you but because you may hurt their feelings and leave them emotionally handicapped forever.
Lying, flirting with others, belittling, being violent, avoiding communication, neglecting your partner, and, of course, CHEATING… These are all things you should never do while dating, not at any cost.
Besides that, if you want to maintain a healthy relationship with another person, you also shouldn’t talk badly about their loved ones, focus only on yourself, set expectations that are too high, judge them, be unsupportive, and compare them to your ex-partners.
If you’re doing these things, you should stop it immediately IF you want to keep the person you’re dating in your life. Otherwise, they’ll almost definitely run from you and very soon.
What Happens During Dating?
You simply hang out, spend some time with the other person, and get to know one another a bit deeper. While getting to know each other, you also establish a certain connection that will, later on, be a huge plus if you decide to move from dating to a more serious relationship.
After dating for some time, you’re also able to figure out whether you’re compatible or not. That is, whether your partner is really the right person for you.
If you manage to build a connection and if you’re compatible with the other person, you’ll probably catch some feelings for them and sail into a romantic relationship with them.
On the other hand, if you notice that there is no compatibility between you, you’ll probably decide to let go of that person. You’ll return to single life and continue your search for your soulmate.
To Sum It All Up
Why do people date? Through my own dating experience and that of my close friends, I managed to figure out the most common reasons. The fact is, a lot of people get into romantic relationships because of their emotional needs, but there are those who have different reasons.
That’s why some of us are only interested in hookups while others long to establish a serious, long-term relationship with another person. We all have our reasons, and we should respect each other’s decisions and wishes.
However, to engage in a serious romantic relationship with someone, your main reason should be love. If anything else represents a bigger reason or motif for you to date someone, you should really reconsider your choices and think about ending that relationship.
