Especially if it’s going well and you want to see the person long term. Would you kiss / make out on a first date or would that be a red flag? Asking women especially

I’m 5’4 and 19 and average looking at best and dating apps don’t seem to work for me, but I hope I’m not locked out of dating and relationships. What other things should I do or avenues I should pursue to try to find a girlfriend?

We always hear “I want love,” but what happens when things get rough and loyalty is tested?
Do you think loyalty is harder than love?

It was truly love at first sight. I put in the effort to initiate contact and get to know her well enough to ask her on a date. We’ve been dating for almost 2 months however, she’s been on a vacation with her best friend and it’s gonna be exactly one month…. When she left it was our 1 month anniversary and when she gets back it’ll be our 2 month anniversary. Do I sound crazy for saying that I know wholeheartedly she’s the woman I want to marry? Any advice is appreciated.
Thank you in advance

I’m a 48 yr old female who just got out on her own. Kids are grown and gone, have my little place, and have a well paying job. Where does someone my age go to start dating?

Speaking from personal experience, I think people can improve their conversational capability to gain trust and enjoy chatting on dating apps and outside of them.

I am a woman who has had her fair share of dating apps (I come from a society where dating wasn't that common but have lived in western countries and now back to my progressive yet new to dating country) & I have noticed pretty much everywhere where people don't necessarily mean to hurt or disrespect the others but they just don't know how to build momentum or how to communicate the tough bits.

So my thesis is that there should be a playground where people can practice before the real app so they don't get shadow banned or black listed and worse get jaded with the dating as an experience. People will get actionable insights on their weak areas, get scored etc.

Need genuine testers. Although there isn't a real age limit, I think this will help 19-30 years olds who are new to dating and need the right kind of experience.

Speaking from personal experience, I think people can improve their conversational capability to gain trust and enjoy chatting on dating apps and outside of them.

I am a woman who has had her fair share of dating apps (I come from a society where dating wasn't that common but have lived in western countries and now back to my progressive yet new to dating country) & I have noticed pretty much everywhere where people don't necessarily mean to hurt or disrespect the others but they just don't know how to build momentum or how to communicate the tough bits.

So my thesis is that there should be a playground where people can practice before the real app so they don't get shadow banned or black listed and worse get jaded with the dating as an experience. People will get actionable insights on their weak areas, get scored etc.

Need genuine testers. Although there isn't a real age limit, I think this will help 19-30 years olds who are new to dating and need the right kind of experience.

I've been single for a while and my friends keep telling me to just download an app instead of waiting to meet someone organically. I'm not opposed to it but I have no idea which one to use. There's like a million apps out there and they all seem to do basically the same thing so I don't know what the difference is. I'm also nervous about what to expect or if I'm going to get catfished or something.

I want something where I can actually meet people who are looking for something real and not just hookups. I'm not picky about looks but I do care about having actual conversations and seeing if there's chemistry. I'm also not trying to spend a ton of money on this so I'd prefer something free or cheap. Beyond that I'm pretty open to whatever works. What would you recommend for someone who's basically a complete beginner at this? Should I start with something mainstream like Tinder or is there a better option for someone who's actually looking for a relationship?

Me (26M) and her (29F) have been best friends for about 2 years now. There has never been anything sexual, etc between us. As of late, I feel myself catching feelings. We already have the deep conversations that 2 people talking would have given that we’ve been best friends. I know that she’s not ready for a relationship right now due to her and her ex boyfriend breaking up a little over a month ago and I’m certainly not ready for a relationship due to being newly divorced. This was the guy she thought would marry, etc. I value our friendship more than anything, but I can’t help but think about a future with her as more than a friend. We kind of flirt? (I think) but really nothing more than that. I recently met her parents for the first time, got along great with them. Just not really sure what to do here. If I try anything, or try to tell her how I feel I really don’t want it to impact our friendship, but I also have a slight feeling she might be into me as well? Hard to say… any advice is appreciated.

I’m recently out of a year long relationship with a relatively well known vegas strip performer whose name I don’t want to mention to respect her privacy. And I’m relatively new to online dating. I’m n the past all but 1 relationship I have had have been by way of meeting in real life through work, going out with friends or single relatives of friends. Vegas is a very challenging city to meet someone for long term relationships because it’s a transient city. I’ve been here since 2007 and I literally have 2 people I know that came here around when I came and are still here. And in my experiences it’s somewhat disappointing that a lot of the women I meet are more concerned about what I make a year than my actual attributes and interests. I mean I’ve done very well for myself here. I’ve got my own home and a rental property and my own cars, a career I’ve worked very hard at and have done very well with and I can I have “the fruits of my labor” to show for it. I am not materialistic but I do like to reward myself with nice things because I have worked incredibly hard to achieve them. At the same time I put away a substantial amount of what I have earned as well so I can happily retire one day and not have to worry about how I’m going to pay the next bill. So I’m not a ghetto rich as some people have been labeled. Ultimately I would like to find a girl or women that I can try new food places and travel with as well as spend my time with and be happy with. I would like to share my life with her and have it turn into something long term. Well let’s see how this goes. Wish me luck 🍀. 🤞🙂😊

Hello. I recently got out of a relationship because i was so fed up with him watching 🌽.
i caught him him joining multiple gcs for the videos and hiding it from me, it went on and on. I kept on finding sites and videos he was watching.

What are thoughts about guys watching 🌽 while in a relationship. Even when ur partner was uncomfortable with it.

I'm a 57-year-old Hispanic man, never married, no children, and I've been single for most of my adult life. I've had a few serious relationships over the years, but I realized we weren't compatible and chose not to continue them. As I've gotten older, I also recognize that living independently for so long makes commitment a different challenge than it was when I was younger.

I have a stable career, have been with my employer for 17 years, and hope to retire in another 3–4 years. I'm well educated, have earned several degrees and certifications (including PMP), developed and patented a product, have excellent credit, and live a simple, comfortable life with my ESA dog. Overall, I consider myself responsible, respectful, and financially stable.

I hadn't dated in about four years, but recently decided to give Bumble and Tinder another try.

I matched with someone on Bumble, and our conversations through the app seemed to be going well. The next day, she asked if we could talk on the phone. I happily agreed. We talked for about 25 minutes, and then she suddenly hung up.

I assumed the call had been interrupted, so I called her back. She didn't answer. A few minutes later, she sent a text saying she was working from home, had a customer, and had to end the call. She wished me a good day.

I replied asking if we could talk later.

That was three weeks ago, and I never heard from her again.

This isn't the first time something like this has happened to me on dating apps. It leaves me wondering if it's my communication style, if I somehow come across the wrong way on the phone, or if this is simply the reality of online dating today.

I'm not bothered if someone decides we're not compatible. That's completely fair. What I struggle with is when someone disappears after what seemed like a pleasant conversation. I'd much rather receive a simple message saying, "I enjoyed talking with you, but I don't think we're a good match." It might be uncomfortable for a moment, but at least both people have closure and can move on respectfully.

At this point, I'm taking a break from dating apps. They just haven't been a positive experience for me.

For those who have found love through Bumble, Tinder, or other dating apps, I'm genuinely happy for you and wish you all the best.

For everyone else—especially those in their 50s—has this been your experience too? From what I 've read in other posts, it seems that ghosting is the new norm?

Hey! so I, (24F), just downloaded hinge about a week ago and I ended up planning a date with this one guy (29M) I matched with a few hours after making my profile. Long story short, we’ve had 3 dates in the span of maybe a week? The first two he initiated, the last I did. All of them were amazing dates, we spent the entire time laughing and getting to know each other. I thought that we had really great chemistry and the same sense of humor, to the point where I began to feel that warm safe feeling when you really like someone.. He paid for the first two and I paid for the last, and I thought we ended on a really great note. The only physical thing that we’ve done is kissed, which I’ve initiated at the end of our second date. Well, after our third he hadn’t texted me for a full day, until I sent a message the following day. When he did respond, there was hours in between the response times which is very unusual for his normal texting pattern. This has continued for the past two days, where there’s huge gaps in between text messages.

Is there a possibility that he’s trying to be hot/cold with me & play the “game” now? Is that something that guys actually do? He’s a pretty nerdy guy and he comes off as very genuine, so I wouldn’t really expect that of him. Of course, he could also just be losing interest, but after the night we had (we spent many, many hours together just talking) it’s hard for me to believe that that’s the case.

I’m a decent looking girl who goes to the gym, is advancing her professional career, has hobbies, and is pretty genuine. Not to sound full of myself but I’d like to think that I make for a pretty great partner. I got out of a long term relationship about a year ago now and I’m just starting to dip my toes into the dating pool. I not sure if there’s any “rules and regulations” that I need to be following …

Me personally, I’m not one for games. I’m all for straightforwardness and genuine connection, so really I just don’t want to be investing all of this emotional energy into someone who isn’t going to reciprocate. What do you guys think?

Hey guys, first time writing on reddit haha
I think i need someone's unbiased opinion, i am a f(18) and i have never had a boyfriend, still have my v-card all that. I wouldn't say i am ugly with confidence, i have features atractive by social standards (i mean i am alt, but i don't think thats a loss in todays dating or is it?) my body is good, i mean i am naturally curvier than most, but i am not overweight, also i work out three times a week. I am genuinely not glazing myself just trying to paint a picture, there is a load of flaws i have, but people usually don't even get to know me enough to see them. I am not stupid, i have a load of hobbies that challenge my inteligence. I do appear very confident so its not like i am a gray mouse, people who know me always compliment both my personality and looks, but my situationships never work out and men barely if ever approach me. Do i have werid self perception and i am not all that good or is dating just cooked in this generation? Thanks for any replies :) (sorry for any mistakes English is not my first language)

TL;DR do yall have problems with this as well? Or if you don't how did you meet your partner?

I’m not even talking about online dating, but I just don’t see or meet attractive men at all. I’m not attracted to women romantically, but I feel like everywhere I go, there are beautiful, stylish women. But good looking men are a rare sight.

I don’t even have a specific type or superficial preferences like hair color that would limit my scope. I also know that looks aren’t everything and I lose attraction if I’m not vibing someone’s personality, but a certain level of baseline attraction is needed in romantic relationships.

This is my first and probably last post on Reddit. I really just want to get people's opinion.

I am a 17 year old male and quite frankly, I don't know what to do with my dating life. My birthday is coming up so I guess I could sign up for dating apps but there's just so many fake people on that stuff. I graduated high school early and only got 3.5 years in before graduating. (Not like more time would have helped me, I was rejected multiple times)

So look, basically, there's like 4 ways to find a date and I either don't like them, or I just can't do them anymore.

1:Meet through school (Well, I'm done so I can't really do that and I have no interest in college)

2: Meet in the workplace (Literally like illegal bro)

3: Meet on an app (It's all catfish)

4: Meet in public (But like, it's 2026 that's just not happening. It's just a public shaming waiting to happen.)

Again, no clue why I'm asking Reddit of all places. But any advice would help. Thank you.

This is gonna be really long and rambly, sorry in advance

I've (30, M) never had a real relationship. I was romantically involved with a friend shortly after high school but I don't really count it because she was clearly doing it out of pity for me. I'm also kind of involved with someone online but it's... complicated (long story short our mutual feelings for each other are on the table but even though they are poly they can't take on another relationship atm)

I'm painfully lonely all the time even though I try my hardest to find someone. I really try not to act like it's out of my control but a lot of the time it really feels like I just have too many handicaps when it comes to this. I'm on disability and I don't work, so I'm not able to meet anyone that way. I also don't go to bars/clubs because 1) I don't don't like to drink 2) I'm an autistic introvert 3) I'm not able to drive. Even once I do learn to drive I don't know where I would even go to find someone. People have given me the advice of getting involved with a community with the goal of not finding a relationship but to form platonic bonds and just let things happen from there. I have basically the same problems with that as before- I don't know the first place to look for something like that. Closest thing I have to that is the local theater troupe I've become involved with recently, but, I don't know if it has to do with me being autistic, but I find it so confusing and contradictory to join a group and try to become romantically involved with them when we're all there for something completely different. Like, we're all there for acting, why would I want to trouble someone by trying to get romantically involved with them? I really hope I'm making sense...

Furthmore, while I really do appreciate the sentiment of focusing on forming authentic, platonic bonds before moving on to romantic ones, that leads into another problem I have- I'm morbidly obese. Even though in recent years I've taken considerable steps to try and lose weight for my health, it's clear I will never be fit or skinny or even "just overweight", and I fear the damage may already be done to my body and I, like most other people my size, don't have a lot of time left in this world. Simply put, I don't wanna waste what little time I have trying to form relationships that won't be what I'm looking for.

All I can think of to do is try using dating apps, but despite trying dozens of them for my entire adult life, I've had zero luck. Despite all my flaws and issues I try to present myself as authentic and confident and polite as I can, but still, nothing. My whole life I've been taught to be authentic and true to myself but at this point I don't know how I'm going to find someone without lying about my personality and interests and straight up settling. Yeah it would be pretty shitty of me to do but again, I just don't know what I can do at this point. (Side-note: In recent years my mind has been opened to polyamory, so I find it funny that even though I can't get a single relationship, here I am being greedy and thinking about having multiple.)

I really don't wanna be grim or overdramatic but I'm really really afraid of dying alone.

There's also plenty of sexual issues that could get in the way of me forming/keeping a relationship, but I'm sure I've already made my point without getting into all that.

I really don't wanna be a woe-is-me, sorry-for-myself, general "incel" type of guy, but it sometimes feels like I just have way too many obstacles in my way to achieve a genuine relationship. Hence why I'm here. My hopes honestly aren't too high but I'm a desperate man with nothing to lose.

Hey yall,

I wanna hear your opinions on why you think dating in this day and age is so hard. We all have different experiences and opinions and I love the topic and hearing them. No judgement or wrong answers. Just wanna hear your thoughts on it all

After so many years, I caught feelings for a girl, and I am obsessed. My entire mood depends on her. If I see her message, I smile, even if it's the smallest message like "hi." I wanna give her my everything—my body, soul, money, time, whatever I could give. Man, I love her so much. I've never fallen so hard in my entire life. Technically, she's my first love.

She clearly told me that I am not her type, but I can't stop thinking about her and always want to talk to her. We talk casually every day. I can't even walk away. I risked some important deadlines and work that are crucial for my career just to be with her. I love her that much.

I know all my efforts are not worth it if she doesn't like me, but I can't stop myself. She's way out of my league too. She's perfect, and I'm chopped. Now I'm having illusions too—every girl looks like her. I'm trying so hard to contain my feelings by distracting myself with gaming and academic work.

I know this sounds childish for this sub, but it's my situation, man. I don't know what to do. Please give me some advice that will help.