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What does it mean to date someone versus simply talking to them? Like dating, talking means you’re getting to know a person to see if you can see a future with them; however, there are also some stark differences. Here are a few of them:
In dating, there’s an expectation that it will lead somewhere
When dating there’s typically an expectation, whether spoken or unspoken, that the relationship will lead somewhere more serious. Of course, that doesn’t always happen because relationships end every day for all sorts of reasons, but the expectation is there. When talking, however, sometimes, there are no expectations for the future at all.
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Talking can either lead to dating or a situationship
Many consider talking to be the pre-dating stage. It is during this time that people are able to get to know each other better without making the actual commitment or putting in the work necessary to date. Some people never make it to dating, though. Instead, they end up in situationship purgatory.
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It’s rare to have exclusivity when talking
When you’re in the talking stage exclusivity is rarely on the table while it’s definitely a possibility when you’re dating. A lack of exclusivity can be good or bad depending on how long you’ve been dealing with the person and your desired outcomes from the relationship. Some people are completely content with this arrangement. Others, not so much.
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Talking can be limited to sex and texting exchanges
The funny thing about the talking stage is that in some cases, there’s a lot more happening than talking. Many people end up becoming intimate during this period without ever making much progress in any other area. This usually leads the pair straight to situationship or friends with benefits territory.
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There’s no real accountability during the talking stage
Unfortunately, not everyone is committed to being a decent human. This is especially apparent when it comes to love and relationships. In the talking stage, there is no commitment and oftentimes, no accountability. This often leaves the door open for trash behavior, disrespect, and f-ckboy shenanigans.
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You likely won’t meet each other’s relatives or friends when talking
Unless you already share mutual friends or met through a relative, the talking stage doesn’t usually lend itself to meet-the-parents scenarios. Since it’s considered pre-dating, you’re still feeling one another out and as a result, there’s no need to involve outside parties and complicate things further.
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When in the talking stage, it’s easier to be ghosted
As previously stated, there’s not much accountability when it comes to pre-dating. As a result, there usually aren’t awkward break-up conversations because there’s no relationship to actually end. For this reason, ghosting and fade-to-black scenarios are a lot more common when in the talking stage.
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When you’re talking, you’re really just friends
Even though there can be a lot of emotion involved during the talking stage, the truth of the matter is that you’re really just friends who have some level of romantic interest in one another. For this reason, things can get especially complicated whenever sex is added to the equation.
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It’s possible to get trapped on both stages
One thing that sucks about the talking stage is that it’s possible to get stuck, never progressing to actual dating. The dating stage is not much different. It’s also possible to get trapped there as well. In love, there are never any guarantees.
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Social media can complicate both
When added to the equation, social media can complicate any relationship. For one, people tend to have very different preferences in regard to how much they wish to share on social platforms and they’re not always willing to go public regarding their love lives.
