Of course, the age old question is-- When are you old enough to date? As for my personal beliefs, sixteen is the age both because of my religion and statistics show that ages 16-18 is the range of age when teenagers can start feeling that 'love' for somebody else. 'Love' doctors have proved this! Now that I've gotten out of my earlier teenage years, I'm able to see that I really didn't know what love was back then, but the more I went about my life and closer to this more mature age, I was able to see it and grow and appreciate it more than I did the strong friendship that I mistook for love. If I were just a little bit younger than 16 when I started dating, I probably would've ended up in a dangerous situation where I would've been tempted or unprotected on the so-called 'date.'
I know that I speak for my age group when the term 'dating' means that you are exclusive with that person and that you are in your own little relationship with your boyfriend or girlfriend. I've gone through that process twice now, and both times I've ended up telling myself "Pf, I don't need a boyfriend to be happy!" I know that I at least speak for myself when I say that people are attracted to confidence and happiness. When I see somebody that looks happy and confident with their life I'm definitely gravitated towards them.
Nowadays, I see the exclusiveness between couples my age and younger as a type of cluelessness about what else is actually out there. Through just dating people, there's no pressure of having to 'break-up' with one another. Through just dating people, there's still a chase and mystery factor of whether the other person might actually like you. Whereas couples straight up say "I love you." I think it's more exciting not knowing if they do or not, the chase is a wonderful thing, I know that the chase doesn't turn out to be as strong when you're in a relationship. Why stick with one flavor when you can sample all sorts of different ones? Sure, maybe your 'flavor of the month' might be chocolate, but you'll never know any better unless you go try some of that rocky road.I know that for Mormons, it can be very difficult and stress-inducing to date before your mission. There's a big factor of teenage hormones that drive teens to like one another, but there's also a factor of that want of obedience and dedication towards God. I know a few men in my life that are in a relationship with some one else pre-mission. I know that I speak for a good amount of women when I say that waiting hurts.
My brother's love interest before he left on his mission wanted to wait for him and he had to debate on what to do and whether to stay in a relationship. He finally made the decision of telling her to just live her life without him for the next two years. About six months into his mission, his love interest got engaged to his best friend. Of course, my brother was very happy for the happiness of his two best friends, but was also going through a little bit of heart break at the same time. I know from this experience, that forming serious relationships before serving a full time mission may be toxic in the floating factor of possible heartbreak.
My advice on this matter is to stay single and date around. I at times regret going into the two relationships that I did, but I know that I wouldn't have had the experience to share and the advice to give if I didn't go into those two relationships. I'm glad that I have the chance to stay single and meet lots of other teens to discover more qualities of what I might seek in a future partner. Jumping into a relationship can be dangerous because you don't always know what you're getting into with the person. There could be a total deal breaker involved and you may feel super bad because you have to break up with them over it. Once again, through just dating people, you can sample all the different flavors.
No comments:
Post a Comment