YOUNG PEOPLE ASK/Am I Ready to Date?

Why wait to date?

Being pressured to date before you're ready would be like being forced to take a final exam for a course that you've barely started. Obviously, that wouldn't be fair!  You need time to study your subject so that you can become familiar with the kind of problems you'll face in the test. It's similar with dating.

Dating is no trivial matter. So before you're ready to focus on one particular person, you need to take time to study a very important "subject"-how to build friendships.

Later, when you meet the right person, you'll be in a better position to build a solid relationship.  After all, a good marriage is the union of two good friends.

Waiting to date won't stifle your freedom. On the contrary, it will give you more freedom to 'rejoice in your youth.'  (Ecclesiastes 11:9) You will also have time to prepare yourself by developing your personality and, most important, your spirituality. -Lamentations 3:27. 

In the meantime, you can enjoy the company of the opposite sex. What's the best way to do so?  Spend time together in properly supervised mixed groups. A girl named Tammy says:  "I think it's more fun that way. It's better to have a lot of friends." Monica agrees.  "The group idea is a really good idea," she says,  "because you get to associate with people who have different personalities."

In contrast, if you focus on one person too soon, you set yourself up for heartache. So take your time. Use this period of your life to learn how to cultivate and maintain friendships.  Later, if you choose to date, you'll have a better idea of who you are and what you need in a lifelong partner.

Next time: YOUNG PEOPLE ASK/Am I Ready for Marriage?

From the jw.org publications