How Did the Relationship End, and Why?
Knowing how your potential date's last relationship ended will tell you her state of mind when you eventually meet her. Was her last relationship violent? Was it dull and she's looking for excitement? Was it wild and she's just looking to settle down? Did her ex die and his spirit will always be with her—in that urn on the mantle she'll never part with?
How a relationship ends will usually shape how the next relationship forms. If your potential date came out of an amicable breakup, she's far more likely to be open to whatever may come in her relationship with you. If she came out of a bad breakup, she may be gun-shy and nervous, hesitant to really get in too deep with you.
Then there are the ex issues. Is she still best friends with her ex, and you'll be expected to have friendly brunches with him regularlv? Did she break her ex's heart, and he's out there wanting her back? Did she have to move to another zip code to get away from her ex, and he's still out there stalking her? These are all very important things to know. And you'll never know unless you ask.
What Kind of Relationship Is He Looking For?
People come to online dating looking for a wide range of things. Not everyone on the site is there for the same reason you are, whatever reason that may be. And it's good to know going in what kind of relationship he's looking for to make sure it matches your hopes for the future. People generally come to online dating looking for one of these things:
► Love. The most common reason to be online dating. Who doesn't want love? It makes the world go round. It's all you need. It's a drug. It's a many splendored thing. And it seems to be ingrained in the human psyche to search for it. Love is everywhere around us, in movies, in music, in books, and in that horrible couple on the bus who keep making gooey noises at each other. We want the gooey noises. We want to be that horrible couple. And if you're looking for love online, you're in the majority.
► Friendship. Yes. there really are people at online dating sites looking for just friendship. However, this is the least common thing people are looking for. Often, even if someone says he's looking for friendship, he's just looking to get to know someone under that safe platonic blanket before moving it into another kind of relationship. However, if you're looking for someone to smooch and coo with, you'd best not get your hopes up. Ask him first if he's really only looking for friendship, and if the answer is yes, move on
► Just dating. While we suspect most of those who claim they just want to date and have a good time are really looking far one of the other things in this list, there are plenty of daters who do claim that's what they want. And it may be true in some cases. But if all they want is dating, it's best to know up front because the relationship wTon't likely go beyond that stage.
► Sex. Ah, yes, the sex-seekers. They are pretty common, even on the mainstream dating sites. And they'll usually make it clear in their profiles. But if not, it usually comes out early on in their communication with you, even if you don't ask. But you should ask. It's best to know this up front. If all they want is sex and you're looking for something serious, it's not going to work out unless one of you changes your mind. And as much as you'd like it to be he who changes his mind, it's unlikely that's what will happen. If you get involved with a sex-seeker, don't expect anything beyond that.
► One-night stand. Just a variant of the sex-seeker, but even less of a committed dater. You're likely to find out in your very first communication with him that this is what he's looking for. After all, if you're just looking for one night, why would you spend weeks e-mailing someone, getting to know her?
Marriage. Probably the second most common reason to be online dating. In many daters' minds, if they're looking for love, they're looking for marriage. The two go hand in hand—most of the time. But it's a good idea to find out if he's looking to give his hand or not. Not everyone believes in marriage. And not everyone is ready for that level of commitment. There are certain Web sites that cater specifically to those wanting to get married precisely because it's so important that you have the same goals for online dating, that vou're fcmlii^g far the same thing. If you didn't meet on one of the marriage Web sites, ask him if he's open to die prospect—without making it seem like you're proposing.
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