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THE 5 STAGES OF DATING
The 5 Stages Of Dating: Have you ever wondered what are the stages of dating? When you recognize what stage your relationship is in, you will understand what is required or needed to go through that stage and move on to the next one. It is normal and common for lovers to be in different stages. When this happens, patience and understanding is needed.
Stage One: Meeting
The purpose of stage one is to determine if there is enough chemistry, commonality and interest to warrant dating. For some people, it may take a couple of meetings to determine if they want to date a particular person. This stage usually lasts about a month and what is needed here is to be an interesting and fun person.
Stage two: dating
Once two people have decided that they want to spend time together dating, the second stage begins. This is the romantic stage and usually lasts two to three months. There is no 3-month rule that says you have to be through the first two stages by then, but many couples are. Here’s what you can expect if you’ve been dating for more than two months:
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The second stage is the romantic stage and usually lasts two to three months
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Stage three: differences
The next stage can occur after around 4 to 5 months of dating and/or of being in a relationship. Stage three is where the differences between the couple begin to surface. It is also where each party will decide for themselves whether to continue the relationship or not.
Stage Four: Independence and Interdependence
Once the couple has learned to deal with each other’s differences, the relationship can progress. This usually happens about 6 months into a relationship. The fourth stage is when the couple learns how to be a couple and still maintain a level of independence within the relationship. For most couples, this stage begins to appear after the couple has been dating for more than six months, although it is usual for this stage to take a little longer to begin.
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For most couples, this stage begins to appear after the couple has been dating for more than six months
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Stage five: healthy commitment
After about a year, the relationship can progress to the fifth and final stage. Stage five is when people are ready to make a long-term commitment. Having successfully completed the previous four stages, the couple has built a foundation of trust, honesty and integrity. For some, this is marriage. For others, this means being in a monogamous relationship.
All relationships have a natural progression, as evidenced by the five stages of a relationship. The first two to three months in a new relationship are about getting to know a person well enough to decide if you want to continue. Why does it take so long to decide? Partly because what we experience when we first meet is attraction. This attraction is surface level affection that is also known as falling in love.
The stages are a natural progression. If you try to skip any of these stages, it is likely that problems will develop in the relationship that could result in one of you wanting to break up.
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