Why It’s Okay to Date Someone, Even If You Know It Won’t Last
Relationships can be complicated.
Dating is supposedly about finding your one true love and settling in for a happily ever after, but what if you already know that things just aren't going to work out with your current partner?
It's not that your relationship is toxic or even remotely unhealthy. In fact, you're quite happy with your partner—you just know that this relationship has an expiration date.
(Riverdale via The CW)
Maybe you or your partner are planning a move to college. Perhaps you don't have enough in common to sustain a long-term relationship. Or maybe you're simply too young to be planning for a lifelong romance. Whatever the case may be, are you just supposed to break-up with them because your relationship isn't destined to last forever?
We don't think so. Keep scrolling to see why it's okay to date someone, even if you know it won't last.
It Provides Valuable Experience
It's an unfortunate truth that you just can't know what you need in a relationship until you're actually in one. Every partnership you have teaches you valuable lessons about what you do and don't need in a significant other. You'll learn the values that are most important to you, the qualities in a partner that are absolute must-haves and the personality types you should stay far away from.
In addition, each relationship teaches you a lot about yourself. You gain insight into how you handle conflict, the areas in which you struggle to be vulnerable and the ways that you can improve to be the best possible partner to your future significant others. Knowing that the relationship is temporary doesn't change the amount of valuable information you can glean from it. It may not last forever, but it can make you a better partner when you do find your future person.
(Riverdale via The CW)
It Keeps Your Mind on the Present
Since many of us are imbued with the idea that dating is just a stepping stone on the path to meeting our future partner, it's easy to mentally jump ahead in a relationship. Suddenly you're planning family trips, holidays together and dozens of other future occasions that can distract you from what's actually happening in your relationship. Not to mention, it puts a lot of pressure on your romance and increases your anxiety about ensuring that each and every decision is the right one.
If you know your relationship will end, however, all that pressure about what's going to happen down the line melts away. Instead of stressing about the future, you can just relax and enjoy the time with your S.O. in the present. Obviously there are different concerns when you know a breakup is coming down the line, but there's also a sense of peace in simply enjoying the time you have with someone you genuinely care about.
Breakups Are Just Part of Dating
Breakups can be rough and messy. In general, no one wants to put their heart through emotional pain, so we often see splitting up as something that should be avoided at all costs. But, if you participate in the world of dating, you're more than likely going to go through a breakup.
So if your partner genuinely brings you joy, why rob yourself of present happiness, simply because you're worried about future pain? If you're only breaking up because you believe it has to happen eventually, you may be robbing yourself of a plethora of happy moments and learning opportunities that you might gain by staying together.
(Riverdale via The CW)
Things Could Always Change
Lastly, it's important to keep in mind that things could always change between you and your S.O. If you're truly happy together, it's possible that a breakup may never come, even if you're 100% sure it's guaranteed. You can never know for certain what's coming down the line, so the best you can do is follow how you feel in the moment. Relationships are nothing if not unpredictable.
On the hunt for more dating advice? Click HERE for seven questions you should ask someone before you start a relationship with them.