Dating vs. "going out"

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  • EyeLikeTacos
    EyeLikeTacos Posts: 324 Member
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    So I'm going to geek out here for a second (because it's what I do best!) and say that you should really read excerpts, articles, or books on the sociological framework and history of "dating" and "courtship" in America. It's really fascinating how the semantics of the word(s) and action(s) have changed over the past 50 years!

    Our generation (and I'm 25... so... you get the idea) seems to not like the idea of dating multiple people at once (or maybe that's just because I'm from Tennessee). But doing so didn't used to be that big of a deal a few generations back. Hints the cheesy term "going-steady." Some sociologist suggest that it's a backlash of 60's and 70's free love culture and others say it's more to do with the AIDS epidemic...

    It's really interesting though. I'm. Done. And I apologize for being an uber geek :D


    This is an excellent post...I think it is part Generational and also location like you said...and also Gender...too...

    I have a female friend who use to get built up tension when going out for the first time with a guy trying to be all perfect...I always have to calm her down and say...Girl...you are just hanging out...just crack some jokes, smile and laugh at his jokes...and don't put any expectations on it....

    After a few months of this she has found the one and is considering marriage with her current BF....

    for two long years she was going out with guys...but calling them dates and getting too weired with them when they were "hanging out with other girls"
  • Ruthe8
    Ruthe8 Posts: 423 Member
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    Exactly you are actually helping my arguement....Because GUYS don't go on DATES with their mom....We simply don't use that word until we are truly into a girl...

    We take our mom out we don't call up mom and say let's go on a date...We just say.."Mom, I am taking you out"

    We don't plan dates with our male friends...we say "Yo man...let's hang out"

    Same with a girl....if I don't know her like that " I call her up and say let's hang out..no pressure...just have fun and laugh"

    If we hit it off a few times...I MAY begin to DATE her
    No, I'm not helping your argument. You seem to think that everyone, or every man, agrees with your personal definition, but you are wrong. Haven't you ever heard of a daddy/daughter date? Do you think they're having sex? Sorry but you can go on a date with a friend, a relative, a co-worker, whatever. It means nothing more than the fact that it was a scheduled activity. You go on and call it what you whatever you want, but your definition is NOT the universal one. It's a word with an actual definition, try looking it up.
  • EyeLikeTacos
    EyeLikeTacos Posts: 324 Member
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    Exactly you are actually helping my arguement....Because GUYS don't go on DATES with their mom....We simply don't use that word until we are truly into a girl...

    We take our mom out we don't call up mom and say let's go on a date...We just say.."Mom, I am taking you out"

    We don't plan dates with our male friends...we say "Yo man...let's hang out"

    Same with a girl....if I don't know her like that " I call her up and say let's hang out..no pressure...just have fun and laugh"

    If we hit it off a few times...I MAY begin to DATE her
    No, I'm not helping your argument. You seem to think that everyone, or every man, agrees with your personal definition, but you are wrong. Haven't you ever heard of a daddy/daughter date? Do you think they're having sex? Sorry but you can go on a date with a friend, a relative, a co-worker, whatever. It means nothing more than the fact that it was a scheduled activity. You go on and call it what you whatever you want, but your definition is NOT the universal one. It's a word with an actual definition, try looking it up.

    I never said that you couldnt call it going on a date!

    I said Dating means more to me than Going Out....

    in the past what me and a lot of my male friends called going out most girls I come across call it dating...

    That word has changed it's meaning over time depending on where you are from and your generational upbringing...as well as gender with my experience...I am very well sure some men call what I call going out dating...but I have yet to run across any....

    have a nice date...i mean day
  • EyeLikeTacos
    EyeLikeTacos Posts: 324 Member
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    It's a word with an actual definition, try looking it up.

    here is a definition of dating

    Dating is a form of courtship consisting of social activities done by two people with the aim of each assessing the other's suitability as a partner in an intimate relationship or as a spouse.


    Look at the word "courtship"

    here is courtship

    Courtship is the period in a couple's relationship which precedes their engagement and marriage

    If I am hanging out with a girl...I am not courting her "yet"


    I am just getting to know her.,...whether she is worthy of courtship.
  • sakuragreenlily
    sakuragreenlily Posts: 334 Member
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    I never said that you couldnt call it going on a date!

    I said Dating means more to me than Going Out....

    in the past what me and a lot of my male friends called going out most girls I come across call it dating...

    That word has changed it's meaning over time depending on where you are from and your generational upbringing...as well as gender with my experience...I am very well sure some men call what I call going out dating...but I have yet to run across any....

    have a nice date...i mean day

    Hmmm... you know I've never considered the influence of gender on the semantics of the word but I think you really are on to something there.

    Also... When you consider the age old adage of "when a guy does _____ you call him a player and when a girl does the same thing you call her a [insert derogatory name for a woman here]"... you could see that there's probably more societal pressure on women to get into and sustain a "stable" relationship. This pressure probably frames the way a woman describes what she's doing with a man (i.e., going on a date vs. hanging out) because there's almost a need to tell other people through your wording that you, as a woman, are TRYING to cultivate a more serious relationship by GOING OUT with this guy on a DATE. Maybe I'm way off though :)
  • EyeLikeTacos
    EyeLikeTacos Posts: 324 Member
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    I never said that you couldnt call it going on a date!

    I said Dating means more to me than Going Out....

    in the past what me and a lot of my male friends called going out most girls I come across call it dating...

    That word has changed it's meaning over time depending on where you are from and your generational upbringing...as well as gender with my experience...I am very well sure some men call what I call going out dating...but I have yet to run across any....

    have a nice date...i mean day

    Hmmm... you know I've never considered the influence of gender on the semantics of the word but I think you really are on to something there.

    Also... When you consider the age old adage of "when a guy does _____ you call him a player and when a girl does the same thing you call her a [insert derogatory name for a woman here]"... you could see that there's probably more societal pressure on women to get into and sustain a "stable" relationship. This pressure probably frames the way a woman describes what she's doing with a man (i.e., going on a date vs. hanging out) because there's almost a need to tell other people through your wording that you, as a woman, are TRYING to cultivate a more serious relationship by GOING OUT with this guy on a DATE. Maybe I'm way off though :)

    I have to admit...I have most definitely fell into the double standard setting of what a guy does is being a player and what a girl does is being a garden tool...I have matured and see it is wack on both parts....

    really communication is the key...if a woman is grown enough.....she can handle a guy being honest and saying "Hey...We are not actually committed so I am seeing or hanging out with other girls" and she should be like..."same here I am seeig other guys"...lol


    I love your logic and the way you deliver your words...:flowerforyou:
  • ILoveTheBrowns
    ILoveTheBrowns Posts: 661 Member
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    im not familiar with either of these
  • sakuragreenlily
    sakuragreenlily Posts: 334 Member
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    I mean, as long as you know you feel about him and he knows how he feels about you, does it really matter what you call it?

    This is where things get dicey! Because it really doesn't matter what you call it...as long as you both have the same understanding of what you are doing....

    I remember having this debate with a girlfriend of mine...What she called dating ...I called hanging out...and what she called in a committed relationship...I called dating...

    Our first time hanging together was just a dinner and talking...she called that first time a date....

    I then said to her if we never went out again...would you tell someone you dated me, or we went out once....

    she froze and realized "Yea we just went out"

    I would say "We went on a date"

    I would say, "We went on a date," too :S... but maybe that just helps Tacos' gender argument all the more.

    Although saying that you "dated" someone and saying you went on "a date" are two different things too. I thinking "Dating" implies multiple dates... and also an ongoing action. Therefore having "dated" someone implies multiple dates... if it was less than two dates then I guess you could say "We went on a date once... and it wasn't that great." Because it probably wasn't if it only happened once XD
  • sakuragreenlily
    sakuragreenlily Posts: 334 Member
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    I love your logic and the way you deliver your words...:flowerforyou:

    Also... =3 Thanks!
  • Sallu0286
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    For me:

    Dating = there is intimacy, I like her (may even think I love her), I am considering her for marriage

    I personally don’t say going out….I say Hanging Out

    Hanging Out = there is interest, I am testing out whether I could date her or keep her in the friend zone.

    agree
  • felice03
    felice03 Posts: 2,732 Member
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    it depends if he has given you his class ring or Letterman's jacket...then you know it is serious!
  • skullshank
    skullshank Posts: 4,323 Member
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    going out MIGHT get me a beej.
    dating BETTER get me one.
  • k8blujay2
    k8blujay2 Posts: 4,941 Member
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    And I see it backwards. I've gone out with a lot of guys, but I've dated a few. I see dating to be the long term word.

    This is the definition I agree with... :wink:
  • Cliffslosinit
    Cliffslosinit Posts: 5,044 Member
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    going out MIGHT get me a beej.
    dating BETTER get me one.

    +1 million
  • rickgomez2003
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    One you put out and the other you don't? :huh:


    I like this one. Lets go with this. LOL
  • DivineRED1
    DivineRED1 Posts: 134 Member
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    They are different. I think "dating" means someone you have been seeing for a few weeks/months but it's not quite defined as a committed relationship yet. I think of "going out" to mean someone you've been out with once or twice or a few times.


    "I dated Steve for 3 months but then we decided we weren't right for each other."
    "I went out with that guy a few times but nothing really came of it."
    "I'm going out with this new guy on the 2nd date."
  • AmyP619
    AmyP619 Posts: 1,137 Member
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    See, my take is "long-term" is going out. Dating is casual and you just go on dates. Going out... you're actual *boyfriend* and *girlfriend* haha
  • TheUglyFriend
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    I see it as "dating" you are getting to know each other to see if there is something there or not. "going out" is more of you have made a commitment to that person and you no longer date other people.


    Just my opinion
  • 3foldchord
    3foldchord Posts: 2,918 Member
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    I agree that there is a difference between dating and going out.

    Now which is which is where I flipflop on.

    This is my thought, confusing as it is.
  • ParaSempreAmor11
    ParaSempreAmor11 Posts: 105 Member
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    to me going out and dating is the same exact thing just worded differently