I still don’t understand the concept of “talking” to potential romantic partners, nor how this cultural phenomenon exists at all. Yet countless men have complained about how women they’re “dating” /”talking to” (these are NOT the same) are “seeing” multiple men.

Le sigh.

As a society, let’s all get together on the same page. This is your official PSA: Talking to someone is not the same as exclusively dating. In order to actually date someone, you must first define the relationship (DTR) after an appropriate amount of dates.

To assume that just because you go on a few dates and you like the person, that they like you back, is almost adorable. Nay, it is ideas like this that contribute to situationships and the reason that so many of us are single.

Stop making our lives more complicated than they need be. If you want to be exclusive with someone, you must have that potentially-awkward “Do you want to be together?” conversation. Otherwise, until that conversation occurs, everything is fair game. Keep dating. Keep swiping. Keep trying.

No one gets to pretend to be a victim because they made erroneous assumptions.

As a former fat kid who was rejected after attempting to get a crush’s attention by leaving Twinkies on his desk, I have no empathy for men who complain about potential rejection. For all of the dudes who don’t have the courage to define the relationship: don’t worry, another man out there will.

(In my experience and research, the DTR conversation should occur after at least three dates, and before the eleventh one).

STFU & DTR. It’s really that simple.