5 Reasons You Absolutely Should NOT Date a Friend...
No Matter How Big Your Crush Is
You’ve been friends for years. You enjoy each other’s company, have a ton of mutual friends, and share a lot of the same likes and dislikes. There’s always been some sort of attraction between the two of you, but you’re unsure of what your feelings mean and where they might lead. You think, “Maybe we should give it a shot and start dating. What could go wrong?”
Think again… When two friends start dating, there’s no turning back. Believe it or not, your decision will not only affect the two of you, but it will also affect all of your mutual friends. So before you jump out of your friendship and into a relationship, consider these five reasons you absolutely should NOT date your friend...no matter how big your crush is.
You might know too much about your friend’s past—and they might know too much about yours
It’s nice to have a good friend to confide in, but when that friendship turns into a relationship, it’s hard to forget all the deep dark secrets you shared with each other. Do you really want your partner knowing every embarrassing or scandalous thing you’ve ever done? Chances are you probably don’t want—or need—to know about all of the skeletons in your partner’s closet and you don’t want them knowing all of yours.
Your mutual friends will see you as a couple, rather than individuals
When two people in a friend group start dating, they lose their status as individuals in the group almost instantly. Your friends may be hesitant about making plans with just one of you, fearing it might be viewed as if they’re excluding your partner. Like it or not, your friends won’t see you as a solo act any longer—from now on, you’ll strictly be a duet.
Arguing in front of your friends will be extremely awkward for everyone
How you resolve your relationship disagreements will likely be very different than how you resolved disagreements in your friendship. Previously, you probably sought relationship advice from your friends. Unfortunately, those days are over. Your mutual friends will be hesitant about getting in the middle of your relationship drama. It’s best to keep your friends out of any arguments. Even though you may think you’re rallying support for yourself, your friends might see it more like you’re dividing the group.
If the relationship doesn't work out, your friendship probably won’t either
It’s difficult to get back into the friend zone once you’ve taken your relationship to a different level—especially if the decision to end the relationship wasn’t mutual. It’s not going to be easy for either of you to pick up where you left off before you started dating and act as if the whole relationship never even happened.
Your friends might think they have to choose sides if the relationship ends
Don’t be surprised if a breakup in your relationship leads to breakups among your friends. The last thing you should do is get your friends involved, but that may be inevitable. If you and your partner decide to call the relationship quits, chances are your friends are going to feel like they have to declare their allegiance and choose a side.
