Dating and Seeing - Same Difference?

Strangely enough, I have found myself lately, discussing this topic with different people on separate occasions. So imagine my disbelieving smile when I came across this post.

Excerpts:

"Going Out"
Anywhere outside the parameter of your house is "out" - which is where most people meet, right? So if two persons are meeting outside regularly (meaning more than once) for whatever reasons (e.g. watch movies, eating, clubbing, shopping etc.), they are in all sense of the word, "going out". This stage is also where you interest (and shyness) level is at the highest so you tend to allow other people come along e.g. friends and little sisters. Your sms-es are very frequent and for no apparent reason ("hey, what are you doing? I just saw a pink bus on the road, ha! ha!")

"Dating"
You know you are in "dating" stage when the "going-out" becomes more frequent and slowly less and less people are tagging along.You start to know the schedule of the other person and knows when to fix 'dates'. It became an unwritten rule that weekends are more or less reserved for each other. You will talk more on the phone and begin to discuss more intimate details of your life. However, dating is still relatively non-exclusive; you are still at the choosing stage meaning you can technically date more than 1 persons at any one time.

"Seeing"
A level up would be 'seeing'. When you are 'seeing' someone, it is the stage where you have moved up from just casual dates to more intimate one-on-one time together on a more exclusive basis. This means that you start to "see" this person not just outside your house but in your bedroom, kitchen or family dining table. You are also slowly perceived to be a one-half of an entity meaning whenever your friends ask you out, they would assume that he/she will be coming as well.

"Steady"
At this stage, you will need to apply for leave before doing anything or going anywhere without the other person.


froufrou laid out the terminology very concisely, but like everything else in the world of concepts, there will be people who have their own ideas about exclusivity. Some believe that Going Out = Dating, some think Dating = Seeing. As men and women struggle with the weak 'equality' issue, and following the demise of the dreaded "So what are we now?" question, how do people handle this state of non-communication?

And so, the perpetual war between Man and Woman trudges on.