Why date exclusively

It was as simple as that. But, over the past while things have changed. You have to have a discussion with your partner about it. If they say no or they give you some runaround answer, then you are not in an exclusive relationship. This usually means that they still want to see other people or they are actively seeing other people. But now, it can mean anything and is sadly open to interpretation. People will claim to be in open-relationships, or they will consider just casually dating to be considered a relationship.

Technically, they are right because a relationship is just any connection between two people. You have a relationship with us where we are writing to you, and you are our reader.

So, we are in a relationship, but we hate to break it to you, we are not exclusive. We have other readers. You see how that word has been morphed? Be prepared for them to say no or say that they did not think you were exclusive up until this point. Hanging out? Having fun? How do you introduce this person if you run into someone from high school? Gah, the anxiety. Relationship ambiguity can be mind-boggling. Lo and A-Rod went from dating exclusively to a couple to about-to-be married.

Their fascinating relationship timeline, here:. Your goal is to be committed to each other in a monogamous relationship, but you still have to test drive things out a bit longer. You know, just to be sure. You gotta make sure the other person is okay with sleeping with the fan on or your strict reality TV schedule, you know? The main thing is, you see potential and are mutually willing to work toward a future to see if you're truly compatible.

This exclusive-dating process means your lives are starting to become naturally more entwined. Maybe you start hanging out with his friend group regularly on weekends, or you bookmark a funny meme to send him later because it reminded you of him.

All that said, exclusive dating does not mean that this person is your boyfriend or girlfriend. That role requires legit responsibilities and a shifting of priorities—namely, putting your bond together before other commitments. Oh, and while you're at it: Exclusive dating isn't something you want to assume or infer is happening.

The peak of all the dating labels — boyfriend and girlfriend, partners, significant others, whatever you prefer to call it. That warm, fuzzy feeling when you know that you have someone who cares deeply about you and has your back.

The certainty that even at those dreaded family gatherings, you have your plus one by your side. Being exclusive is a natural progression on the way to a committed, monogamous relationship. This stage takes a lot of the pressure off of fully committing to each other by letting you commit just enough to see if you two have what it takes to stay together. It takes the uncertainty out of dating and helps you to relax a little more as you get to know each other.

An exclusive dating arrangement, however, means different things to different people. The rules of dating exclusively are pretty obvious. You both only date each other. Seems pretty simple, right? Well, not always. Your new boo might think that keeping dating apps active is alright, or might even want to skip this stage and dive straight into a relationship. Communication is absolutely key in all stages of a relationship, and an exclusive relationship is no exception.

So, keeping an open dialogue will help you both feel comfortable and understand where you both are at emotionally. You just have to do it. And when you take this leap of faith, you can clear things up for the both of you and help your relationship get off to a good start.