The Agony and Ecstasy of Dating

One common piece of advice in the context of dating is to take the emphasis away from 'meeting new people' and focus initially on enriching your own life. Therefore consider taking up some new activities that are social, educational, or will help you gain a new interest or skill. When you do this, it very often follows that you will naturally meet a suitable new partner. If you don't then there is the pay-off of having gained a broader social support group.

Knowing the qualities you are looking for in a partner is a good start when dating. Are you looking for a long-term or short-term relationship? If so this may influence the places you look for a partner. What are the main qualities you are looking for in a partner? Try sticking to a handful of criteria. Are you ready to put your heart on the line? Dating can involve the potential for hurt as well as happiness, so there is a risk. Are there any factors inhibiting you from dating, and how can these be overcome? Discussing these issues with a counsellor/psychologist will help you find ways to overcome these inhibiting factors.

The good news for females embarking on the dating scene is that the stereotypical belief about high achieving females appears to be shifting! According to a report in The Boston Globe 2007 by Stephanie Coontz, a historian from the Evergreen State College in Olympia, instead of well educated females fearing they are less likely to marry because they are getting older, men in the U.S. according to recent studies, are more likely to want a wife with a similar educational or occupational background, who can share the responsibility of breadwinning. Stephanie reports the studies show that an equal approach to shared house work improves the satisfaction of marriage for both men and women and that a wife in full-time employment can lead to increased marital stability. Obviously this result is contextual and doesn't apply in every case.

Although scary, one should not be fearful about embarking on the dating scene, make time to do it and consider socializing with people in places you feel most comfortable. This is likely to be where you feel confident and therefore more inclined to strike up a conversation with the people around you. In truth, the most important step in meeting new people is to have the confidence to simply introduce yourself and start talking. When you can do this, everywhere is a place to get started!