To me it means going out casually for a bit to see if a romantic interest is mutual and if you both want a relationship with each other.
But there is so much more on the wikipedia site: Literally, dating means the act of going out on dates. In Western societies, a date is an occasion when one socializes with a potential lover or spouse: it is a pre-scheduled, usually exclusive meeting of two people with mutual interest in one another, to communicate with and to understand each other better through joint participation in one or more social activities during time away from work or school. In this sense, the purpose of a date is for the people dating to become acquainted with each other and decide whether they want to have a serious relationship.
Dating often begins in the teenage years, but younger children may date as well. Double-dating, when two potential couples go out on a joint-date, is particularly popular with young people. There may be even larger "group dates" in some cases.
During dates, people often explore each other's personalities, to discover whether or not they would be compatible together in a relationship. Usually, if the two individuals discover that they have poor or low compatibility, it signals the end of the relationship and there will be no "second date," and often no further communication at all.
Personal information often sought on dates include:
* Attitudes * Appearance * Character and integrity * Direction and stages of personal growth * Education and grade-point average * Expectations * Family, class, cultural and social background * Age difference and geographical distance
* Habits * Health * Income * Interests * Maturity * Personal philosophy * Political views
* Preferences * Priorities * Religious views * Sense of humor * Views on sex, marriage and child-bearing * Ways of communication * Wealth or financial situation
For dates, a person usually tries to display his or her best qualities, and be on his or her best behavior, or do whatever they think is needed to attract the other person, like dress up nicely and maybe use perfume or cologne.
While a date is going out to do something together (like having dinner and then visiting the theater, or having a picnic at a park or on the beach), courting may continue to take place between dates, such as meeting online (also known as virtual dating), chatting on-line, sending text messages or picture messages, conversing over the phone, writing each other letters, and sending each other flowers, poems, songs and gifts, for instance.
"Bilateral eureka" is a term that might define what many people believe they are looking for on their date(s).
During the early- and mid-20th century (1920s to 1960s), dating was considered to be a social pastime in which most single young people would participate. After the advent of women's movement, the men's movement, the sexual revolution, and other movements that have shaped modern Western culture, this "old-fashioned" form of dating waned in popularity, giving way to what became known as "hanging out" and "hooking up". Formal dating, where one person (usually the male) contacts another person (usually the female) to arrange a date gave way to more casual encounters, including casual sexual encounters.
Many people are now expressing a lack of satisfaction with this way of doing things. The popularity of online dating services is seen by some to indicate a growing desire among singles to meet for "traditional" one-on-one dates, and to date socially, without necessarily having the expectation of either a sexual relationship or a long-term romantic relationship.
In recent years, a number of college newspapers have featured editorials where students decry the lack of "dating" on their campuses. This may be a result of a highly-publicized 2001 study and campaign sponsored by the conservative American women's group Independent Women's Forum, which promotes "traditional" dating. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Courtship
We use the word pretty liberally here in our family.
A date is a social function with another person or people. I date my children (movies, bowling, skiing, dinner out) I date my girlfriends (all of the above plus dancing, shopping, etc) and I date men (no shopping, but other things).
So, my children have never really known me to NOT be dating, yet they don't feel threatened by it, simply because a date to them just means something fun. They are 8 and 5, and after reading the previous post, I was laughing at how true it is that boys are pretty much clueless. My daughter is the 5 year old, yet she's the one always asking if so and so is my boyfriend (she hasn't quite got the logistics figured out yet, since she's usually asking about a coworker, a married friend, or the brother of a friend- not anyone who would be my boyfriend!) and my son seems to not even think about me and men at all.
So, in short, dating to me is engaging in social activities with people. When I'm "dating" one person, I guess it's the stage before an actual relationship, yet there is one. Right now, I'm dating. At some point, I'll be dating someone. Then we'll be committed, and I'll say I'm in a relationship.
To me, it is seeing someone of another sex (well, of THE other sex, lol - how many ARE there!?!), socially, b/c of a possible attraction, to see IF there is any possibility of a relationship.
drama!
hahaha - just kidding.
To me it means going out casually for a bit to see if a romantic interest is mutual and if you both want a relationship with each other.
But there is so much more on the wikipedia site:
Literally, dating means the act of going out on dates. In Western societies, a date is an occasion when one socializes with a potential lover or spouse: it is a pre-scheduled, usually exclusive meeting of two people with mutual interest in one another, to communicate with and to understand each other better through joint participation in one or more social activities during time away from work or school. In this sense, the purpose of a date is for the people dating to become acquainted with each other and decide whether they want to have a serious relationship.
Dating often begins in the teenage years, but younger children may date as well. Double-dating, when two potential couples go out on a joint-date, is particularly popular with young people. There may be even larger "group dates" in some cases.
During dates, people often explore each other's personalities, to discover whether or not they would be compatible together in a relationship. Usually, if the two individuals discover that they have poor or low compatibility, it signals the end of the relationship and there will be no "second date," and often no further communication at all.
Personal information often sought on dates include:
* Attitudes
* Appearance
* Character and integrity
* Direction and stages of personal growth
* Education and grade-point average
* Expectations
* Family, class, cultural and social background
* Age difference and geographical distance
* Habits
* Health
* Income
* Interests
* Maturity
* Personal philosophy
* Political views
* Preferences
* Priorities
* Religious views
* Sense of humor
* Views on sex, marriage and child-bearing
* Ways of communication
* Wealth or financial situation
For dates, a person usually tries to display his or her best qualities, and be on his or her best behavior, or do whatever they think is needed to attract the other person, like dress up nicely and maybe use perfume or cologne.
While a date is going out to do something together (like having dinner and then visiting the theater, or having a picnic at a park or on the beach), courting may continue to take place between dates, such as meeting online (also known as virtual dating), chatting on-line, sending text messages or picture messages, conversing over the phone, writing each other letters, and sending each other flowers, poems, songs and gifts, for instance.
"Bilateral eureka" is a term that might define what many people believe they are looking for on their date(s).
During the early- and mid-20th century (1920s to 1960s), dating was considered to be a social pastime in which most single young people would participate. After the advent of women's movement, the men's movement, the sexual revolution, and other movements that have shaped modern Western culture, this "old-fashioned" form of dating waned in popularity, giving way to what became known as "hanging out" and "hooking up". Formal dating, where one person (usually the male) contacts another person (usually the female) to arrange a date gave way to more casual encounters, including casual sexual encounters.
Many people are now expressing a lack of satisfaction with this way of doing things. The popularity of online dating services is seen by some to indicate a growing desire among singles to meet for "traditional" one-on-one dates, and to date socially, without necessarily having the expectation of either a sexual relationship or a long-term romantic relationship.
In recent years, a number of college newspapers have featured editorials where students decry the lack of "dating" on their campuses. This may be a result of a highly-publicized 2001 study and campaign sponsored by the conservative American women's group Independent Women's Forum, which promotes "traditional" dating.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Courtship
We use the word pretty liberally here in our family.
A date is a social function with another person or people. I date my children (movies, bowling, skiing, dinner out) I date my girlfriends (all of the above plus dancing, shopping, etc) and I date men (no shopping, but other things).
So, my children have never really known me to NOT be dating, yet they don't feel threatened by it, simply because a date to them just means something fun. They are 8 and 5, and after reading the previous post, I was laughing at how true it is that boys are pretty much clueless. My daughter is the 5 year old, yet she's the one always asking if so and so is my boyfriend (she hasn't quite got the logistics figured out yet, since she's usually asking about a coworker, a married friend, or the brother of a friend- not anyone who would be my boyfriend!) and my son seems to not even think about me and men at all.
So, in short, dating to me is engaging in social activities with people. When I'm "dating" one person, I guess it's the stage before an actual relationship, yet there is one. Right now, I'm dating. At some point, I'll be dating someone. Then we'll be committed, and I'll say I'm in a relationship.
Moody, pondering the use of the language now.
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I agree with Rebecca... and you crack me up, btw.
LOL...another sex (well, of THE other sex, lol - how many ARE there!?!)