Do you believe dating should 'lead' to anything...?

[Deidre32]

Sounds like he's trying to move one step forward a wee bit to quick.
I never went on a date with my now boyfriend's, we meet online at a great distance, and got to know each other, becoming friends and eventually bfs.

That's not to say it can't work that way, but dating doesn't = leading to marriage, it's just a method to get to know people first.

I think this is quite sensible.

[Deidre32]

I don't like blanket statements; I don't think all dating should lead to any single end. Dating should lead wherever the two consenting parties want it to lead, be it marriage, or an open relationship, or a few one-night stands, or a long-lasting relationship that doesn't involve marriage at all, or a single memorable dinner and nothing more.

I looove how you worded this. Ugh, my thoughts precisely!!

[Deidre32]

If he's going into a date with that mindset, then he's not especially interested in what his dating partner has in mind.  Like so many other things, dating should be goal-less beyond a pleasant time being had by all, and if that happens, then other longer-term possibilities open up.

At my age, I'm starting to go on carbon dating sites... :D

hahaha! carbon dating sites ^_^

I think that society (especially in the US) places a lot of unnecessary pressure and emphasis on marriage...I think that many people get caught up in the idea of marriage, and don't realize what an undertaking it truly is. Thx for commenting.

[Sal1981]

Not necessarily. Can? Sure.

[stromboli]

The problem is that the traditional mindset thinks that dating should lead somewhere. Go back to the time when first dates were escorted by a third party to ensure proper behavior. Dating used to be very ritualistic. We need to get past that mode of thinking and drop the religious family oriented concepts.

[Deidre32]

Yea, religion has ruined many a good thing. lol