Millions of people go on dates each and every day. There are many reasons why people like dating.
If you think about our society; dating really penetrates every part of modern life today. Dating is shown in movies like romantic comedies, TV sitcoms where characters spend entire seasons dating, breaking up, and getting back together again, and even in commercials between the action in a sporting event or drama.
We have special holidays like Valentine’s Day or New Year’s Eve that celebrate being with someone or finding someone.
And previously thought to be only for the very bold or very desperate, online dating is here in a massive way with apps such as Tinder or Bumble making it extremely easy to find potential new mates.
Why is dating so important in our society? There are a number of reasons why people like dating, so let’s take a look at five of the biggest reasons out there.
1. The Experiences
Dating experiences have created whole industries. Rom-coms are basically repetitive tales about dating and finding “the one”. And no matter how repetitive, Hollywood and the general public eat them up year after year!
It makes sense though, we can all relate to humorous dating situations – or just plain awful ones.
So why do so many people date so much? It’s all about the experiences! Let’s dive in:
– The People
People are fascinating creatures, there’s no doubt about that. So much of our focus when we talk to friends or family is about meeting a nice guy or girl, bonding with them, and learning to love them for who they are.
Know where that process starts? It’s called dating. (Duh.)
There’s no better way than the real deal life experience to figure out what you like and don’t like in potential partners.
When you go on dates – you’ll meet a lot of interesting people. It’s something that a lot of successful people do in business; it’s basically a form of networking.
Even though we’ve all heard horror stories about first dates, and all of the awfulness awkwardness that comes along with either being rejected, rejecting someone else, or just being on a date where the guy or girl literally has no clue what’s going on and you want to die of embarrassment…. Those aren’t the norms.
Normally you’re going to find someone (whether through connections, or an online app, or even just by random chance) that you have something in common with. Most people in the world do not just accept dates from (complete) random strangers.
So you’re already walking into a first date with a good chance at having something in common – that’s great.
What that generally leads to is someone who can expand your view of the world. Maybe you really like them and admire the way they do things. Maybe you take an idea from them to further your own career or self-development.
Maybe they’re just fun and they have an enthusiasm for life that you’re able to take a lesson from.
People are freaking amazing – and meeting new people in a dating situation is a great way to see the best the world has to offer.
Everyone wants to give you their “best shot” on a first date so you’re going to see a nice dressed up guy or girl, on their best behavior, telling their best stories and just overall giving a great presentation.
Not every one of these dates will be someone you think is “the one”; but hopefully you’ll learn each and every time you go on a date.
Now… you’re thinking – what if I have an awful time?
Guess what? That counts as a learning experience too! You just found out what you don’t like in other people – and maybe what you don’t want to be like in your personal life either.
If you find yourself having tendencies that a “bad date” has – maybe you need to do a bit of self-evaluation too. Don’t be harsh on yourself… but if you start to think that “This guy was so self-absorbed”. Do a quick check: Are you letting your date talk? Finding out about their interests too?
It’s easy to take lessons away from positive experiences in life.. but can you learn from the negative? That’s the challenge.
– The Activities
The person you’re going on a date with is only one aspect of your night. Something I find just as important? What you are actually going to be doing on this date!
I am a believer that people will sometimes go on dates simply as a form of entertainment. Sure, they might be looking for a partner, I’m not suggesting they’re malicious here. But it’s honestly fun to go out on a date.
When you look at all of the fun date ideas in the world, this starts to make a lot of sense.
You start off with the very traditional dinner or drinks at a bar. If it’s a new restaurant, a new meal, maybe a new bar or you’re in a part of town you don’t go to very often – these “traditional” kind of ideas can still be a ton of fun!
Then from there you have the more “active” ideas. You can go out and try an activity like bowling, mini-golfing, go do something physical like hiking, a workout class, or even rock climbing. You could go see a comedian, you could watch a movie under the stars, you could go see a sporting event, you could go to a concert. Take a walk and go visit a museum of some kind. Go ice skate, go roller skate, go rent bicycles, go to a zoo.
Do you see how easy that was for me to rattle off all kinds of ideas?
The best part is – if you let your guard down a bit and authentically be yourself, you’re going to find yourself having a lot of fun. Is it silly to go mini-golfing as an adult? (I don’t think so , for the record) Some people will say yes it is, but it’s a chance to let loose and have some fun. Many people are looking for those opportunities in today’s society & I tend to believe dates are a great way to try something new.
When you go on a unique date; you tend to find that the dates are more memorable and everyone has a lot more fun compared to a traditional dinner or movie.
2. For Companionship
Why do some people seem to constantly be going on dates?
They’re lonely!
I don’t mean this in a depressing or negative state, however a lot of people do go on dates as a way to stay busy.
This makes a lot of sense; if you’re single and especially if you live in a bigger metro area; going on dates is a very popular thing to do because you simply have a lot of that time to fill.
Again, this isn’t a negative thing. If you look up at all those date ideas I just mentioned; you’re kind of missing out if you’re not finding someone to go do some of those things with right?
Who doesn’t love skating outside around Christmas time or going for bowling with a date or a date and some friends?
Companionship is a big reason that people like to go on dates; it kind of gives them something to do.
I’m not saying that these people aren’t looking for a true match; they could be. However, until they do find that match; they still need to keep busy and have a fun life – dating affords them that opportunity.
3. Physical Benefits
Let’s keep it clean here, okay?
With that being said… one of the big reasons people like dating so much are the physical benefits that come along with dating.
Today’s society has an opportunity like never before. Dating apps have become extremely prevalent – becoming even some of the top apps featured on the App Store or Google Play.
These apps allow users to find both serious dating opportunities, and let’s say “less serious” dating opportunities.
Again, I take the stance that there is nothing wrong with that. While you’re single, you should be taking the time to find out what you like and what you don’t – and if the experience is fun while you’re learning about yourself; I don’t see a problem there at all.
You do need to take safety into account when you’re thinking about all of this, both in the traditional physical sense (please take precaution) and the more modern sense of online apps.
Please be aware that users can manipulate online profiles and represent things that may not be true. Always take a friend with you when going on first dates with complete strangers online & be sure to verify that they are a normal person.
If you’ve watched any episodes of MTV’s Catfish – that should give you a good place of where to start.
4. Online Dating
I mentioned this in the section above, but online dating is a big reason why people like dating so much.
If you’ve ever seen how Tinder works – think about how many profiles you can see in a very short time. That’s a massively high number compared to the old ways of either connecting through friends, through work, or just plain old meeting someone on the street.
Apps like Tinder blow all of that out of the water.
You can literally swipe through thousands of people (all near you) at a time. That’s really impressive. And – it’s also really good entertainment.
Individuals who use these apps can sometimes get stuck on the fact that there’s so many people – it almost becomes a game.
The key to online dating and why people like it so much is when they’re able to find people with similar interests as them. That doesn’t mean simply their likes or dislikes – but more along the lines of their soul.
People like online dating when they find individuals who are on the same wavelength as them. That means if I’m just looking for something physical – I find another person looking for the same. If I’m looking for a few dates because I’m new the city and I need someone to show me around; I’m looking for a local who wants to show off and feel appreciated for their knowledge.
Those matches are made all the time and can really boost people’s self-esteem and happiness. This is one of the big reasons why people like dating.
5. It’s Natural
The human condition is always searching for love. This is, obviously and no pun intended, one of the most natural reasons why people like dating.
We have SO much out there between literature, movies, TV, advertising – everything tells us that when we find love we’ll be happy. Look at how long poets have been writing about heartbreak!
The quest for love is a natural quest and dating is just the first step to that game.
If you’ve ever found yourself at home on a Friday night – even for those who find it natural to sit and binge shows; sometimes you start to get twitchy thinking about other people going out. It’s almost a FOMO effect.
That’s because as humans we are very social creatures – we want to be involved with other people in positive and fun ways. Dating gives us a very natural way to express those social desires & the desire to be loved.
Even a hundred years from now when computer simulations tell us who our best partners are; I highly suspect that we will still be driven to go on dates, simply as an instinct that is in our DNA.
The reasons people like dating are widespread. Some people love attention and love to flirt. Others look for new experiences that they may not be able to find alone. Whatever the reason; dating seems like it will always be a part of our society, and with new apps being released every date – you can bet there will be more innovation in the world of online dating that leads to more and more opportunities – and more dates at the end of the day.
Thinking about dating got you feeling some type of way? Come check out our Singles Chat Room and get to making some new experiences of your own.
