One of the common mistakes most people make is to rush into a relationship without starting from the place of friendship. The aftermath of these actions then leads to a heartbreaking wreck of lovers’ love.
“Happily Ever After” isn’t a one-time event. It takes a continuous journey of friendship before two people in love can attain such a state. Several doses of affection build a fierce love that can never be infected.
Your friend will love and support you, hold you down, and see you through the darkest times of your life.
Although many people jump into relationships without really knowing the other person first, the result is often an unsatisfying relationship that doesn’t last very long.
Do you think you should figure out “being friends” before or after getting into a relationship?
In this post, there are researched and well-laid-out reasons for you to start with your partner as friends. You’ll get to see the essential things to consider concerning friendship.
Reasons to be friends before getting into a relationship
1. You can see if you have a connection
Being friends first allows you to get to know your partner better and see if you have any chemistry before you start dating. If there’s no physical attraction, it’s best to find out before things go too far. The last thing you want is to be stuck in a relationship with someone who doesn’t excite you or make you feel special.
Plus, being friends first allows you to get to know your partner deeper without having all that pressure from dating hanging over your head.
It can also help strengthen trust between two people because you’ll know each other pretty well when things become romantic. It’s good for your mental health.
Getting into a relationship right away could mean missing out on some great friendships. If you rush into something serious with someone, you might miss out on making great platonic connections—which are just as important as romantic ones.
As long as you don’t ignore red flags when they arise, friend-first relationships can benefit your mental health. Having close friends around you helps boost self-esteem and reduce stress levels.
However, even if things don’t work out romantically with one person, you still have plenty of support around you.
2. Friends are great for each other
They help you unwind after work, support you when stressed, and cheer you on when you’re on top of your game. Be friends first!
It’s much easier to transition from friendship to romantic love than it is from stranger status. You know each other better, which means there are fewer surprises and less risk of unpleasant miscommunication.
Here are 8 reasons why being friends before getting into a relationship will benefit both parties —and their future romance:
1. People who have been friends first tend to have more stable relationships overall because they’ve learned how to navigate conflicts in a non-romantic way. You’ll get plenty of practice at managing disagreements and finding solutions together before you even think about handling those same problems with someone with an entirely different set of emotions.
2. Friendships often last longer than romances, so if you’re worried about whether or not your partner will stick around long enough to see the real you, don’t be.
The person who knows you best already likes what they see; now, all that remains is for you two to fall in love!
3. A solid friendship provides an excellent foundation for a lasting romance.
If you’re used to having fun with someone, the chances are good that you won’t mind spending time together once things become more serious—and if you enjoy making each other laugh, then sharing laughs as lovers is only going to make your bond stronger.
4. Friends can act as sounding boards when trying to figure out your feelings for someone else.
There’s no pressure involved in asking a friend for their opinion, but sometimes just talking through your situation with another human being helps you sort through everything.
5. Friends help keep things lighthearted and stress-free by reminding you that life doesn’t end if you don’t find the one right away. Maybe dating multiple people is what you need to learn what you want in a partner.
6. Having a built-in wingman or wing-woman can help take some of the pressure off when approaching someone new—especially if you’re nervous about starting a conversation or asking them out on a date.
7. When you’re comfortable enough to talk about anything with a friend, you’ll feel free to express any concerns you might have about a budding romance.
8. Being friends first gives you a chance to test drive a potential partner without risking too much.
Instead of investing your heart in someone who turns out to be a bad fit, you can decide that you’re better off remaining friends.
3. Friends make better lovers
If you want to strengthen your bond, it’s essential to nurture friendship before moving into a romantic relationship.
Best of all, once you’ve made it through these stages, you won’t have far to go in terms of learning how to develop a successful love life with your new partner! It would be best if you had a friend before entering a relationship.
This support is invaluable when trying to work out if we’re ready for something more severe than friendship. We don’t always realize what we need until we talk to someone who knows us well and has our best interests at heart.
A true friend will help keep you grounded and ensure you don’t rush into anything before giving yourself time to think about what might be best for both parties involved. It enables you to understand each other better.
When we spend time being friends before becoming lovers, we learn how to communicate effectively without being distracted by physical attraction. Being friends makes it easier to know what buttons not to push when disagreements arise later on.
In addition, knowing someone well means understanding their flaws and weaknesses before deciding whether they’re suitable for us.
Likewise, those imperfections will be easier to accept because they come from a place of familiarity rather than surprise. Your friendship helps you see beyond looks.
There’s no denying that physical attraction plays a big part in relationships, but it shouldn’t take center stage. Instead, look beyond appearances and try to get to know people for who they are before making assumptions based on first impressions.
Having established a strong friendship first allows us to do just that—so when we meet someone attractive, we can focus on getting to know them instead of obsessing over whether or not they like us back.
4. If it doesn’t work out, friendship is still there
Before committing to a serious romantic relationship, many prefer to know someone before taking that next step.
Friends can offer insight and advice on whether or not they think their significant other is right for them in ways loved ones simply cannot.
By becoming friends first, you’ll be able to test things out and see if you want to invest more time into a romantic partnership.
If things don’t work out, friendship is still there! You may find yourself wondering what could have been. But it also might end up being a perfect thing that you didn’t rush into anything.
Sticking with platonic friendships before entering a romantic relationship allows you to determine whether or not your prospective partner is capable of maintaining healthy relationships with others – something crucial for any beneficial long-term partnership.
Even if you decide to become romantically involved later down the road, you now have another friend who knows everything about you.
Nothing makes dating easier than having someone who can give references and vouch for your character! After all, it’s much easier to relax around someone when you know exactly how they are likely to react before a date ever begins.
Additionally, many people like having close friendships outside of their romantic partnerships to avoid placing all of their eggs in one basket.
5. Friends focus on the positive aspects of each other
Who can you trust if you can’t be your best friend? The same goes for romantic relationships. It’s easy to identify our faults when we look inwards, but noticing our flaws with others is more arduous.
By spending time as pals before taking that next step, you can learn about each other without putting yourselves on too much of a pedestal.
You might even realize you’re better off remaining friends than becoming lovers.
Friends focus on what they like about each other. When entering a new relationship, it’s common to fixate on all those things we don’t like about our partner.
However, if you only see their bad qualities before dating them, how will you ever see their good ones? Therefore, keeping an open mind before getting into a relationship is essential.
Friends are honest with each other: Sometimes honesty isn’t pretty, but it sure is helpful!
One study found that people who could express their negative feelings and thoughts towards someone else were more likely to maintain healthy friendships over time.
While there are exceptions, honesty tends to breed respect and understanding between two people—which can help prevent unhealthy breakups later down the road.
Friends know what to expect from each other: Not every couple has a honeymoon phase where everything is lovely and exciting.
If you start as friends first, you already know how your partner acts under normal circumstances—and whether or not they treat everyone well (not just you).
Friends set realistic expectations: There’s nothing worse than thinking something will work out romantically because it did so well as just friends.
6. Friendship gives both people time to figure out their issues
Regardless of how much you think you know about your partner, you won’t know what they’re like until being with them.
There may be red flags that come up later that were never obvious at first blush, and it is much easier to address these issues when there isn’t so much pressure on your new connection.
Getting to know someone as a friend makes examining their faults and motives much more accessible for both involved.
When you get serious too quickly, you could end up setting an unrealistic expectation—one that could lead to disappointment down the road.
Take time to figure out who you are and what you want from life before jumping into another fierce commitment; friendships can help facilitate these goals without the romantic drama attached.
Being just friends gives you a chance to become besties. A friendship between two people allows each person to become more well-rounded and empathetic than they would have been otherwise.
Relationships take effort, and most relationships require communication.
Having no expectations can allow both parties to relax and focus on building genuine connections rather than feeling pressured by expectations or preconceived notions of how things should be.
7. Friendship helps you know what kind of lover they will be
Before you get involved in a relationship, friendship lets you see what kind of person they are. If your potential partner treats you well as a friend, the chances are that they will treat you well in a romantic capacity.
Approaching your relationship this way can only lead to better things when it comes time to take your relationships to the next level.
Also, if your friends like them and approve of them, there’s even more reason to think about dating him or them. The old saying it takes one to know one is never more true than choosing a partner!
Being friends first gives you time to discover whether or not you have enough in common on which to build a future together.
Friends also have access to all aspects of each other’s lives, including family members and acquaintances; being close as friends first make breaking up much more manageable if things do not work out between the two of you romantically.
Finally, friends give you something to talk about during those long-distance phone calls late at night when loneliness claws into us all.
If nothing else, knowing that your significant other was thinking of you while they were at work will help ease any sense of isolation caused by being apart from someone who means a lot to you.
It also allows you to stay connected without having any pressure (or expectation) to take things further than either party wants.
8. Friendship builds trust
If you want to ensure your partner is worthy of your trust, friendship is the way to go.
It’s easier for someone you’re close with and know very well to hurt you, but if you trust them enough as friends, there won’t be any weird surprises when things become more serious.
It’s also easier for friendships that evolve from dating relationships to last in long-term marriages because they are based on real love and commitment—not just physical attraction.
When couples who were once friends first get married, their marriage tends to be happier and longer-lasting than those who weren’t friends first. Friendships can even help protect against divorce!
It doesn’t matter how many friends you have; having just one good pal will do. It may be better to have one close friend than many casual acquaintances.
Also, having many friends isn’t all that important for guys. Men whose wives had stronger social ties before marriage did not experience any protection against divorce compared with men whose wives did not have strong social ties before marrying.
9. Friendship allows for less pressure on appearances
You’re not trying to impress your friend, so don’t worry about shaving and wearing makeup. You can show them how you are without feeling pressured by their response. It allows for less hurt if things don’t work out.
If you can count on a friend in both good times and bad, it is easier to come back from breakups or disappointments and always know that you have someone there.
Friendship helps with self-esteem. Women often feel like they need a man to make them feel better. Companies help us learn more about who we are.
Friendships also allow you to get to know yourself better through others. How do you react when they’re stressed? What do they do when they’re happy? Do they treat everyone equally?
These questions help define who you are and what type of relationships will best suit your needs.
Friendship creates the opportunity for sharing interests: Having a common Interest with another person can help generate conversation and build trust between two people.
The shared activity becomes an icebreaker and something to look forward to together. Friendship helps us develop empathy.
A strong friendship means being able to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and understanding all that’s about them. This skill transfers over into romantic relationships, making it easier for couples to understand each other’s feelings and communicate effectively.
10. If you are friends first, you know how your partner thinks
It is vital to trust your partner, but if you are looking for a serious relationship and have not had a chance to get to know your potential partner, there can always be doubt.
If you have been friends first, however, there is no need for doubt because you will have seen how they think and their true personality before getting into a relationship with them.
If you are friends first, you will never feel like an outsider. One of the most common reasons why people break up after being in a relationship for some time is that one person feels like an outsider in their relationship.
Things like this do not happen when you are friends first because it means that both parties have already spent enough time together to become comfortable with each other.
It’s easier to make decisions together. When two people start dating each other, they may disagree on specific issues more often than when they were just friends. Truth be told, when it comes to big decisions such as moving in together or marriage.
If you are friends first, you will already know how your partner thinks and what they value most, so making decisions together should be much easier. If you are friends first, it’s easier to forgive mistakes.
11. Friends get each other’s sense of humor
When dating someone, getting their sense of humor can be hard. Most people have a different sense of humor when they’re friends. By being friends before anything else, you can quickly identify if your date has a funny bone or not.
Whether or not you laugh at their jokes, if you see them laugh at yours and vice versa, chances are there’s something special between the two of you. And that means it’s time to take things to another level.
Friends don’t judge each other: We often make quick judgments about others based on what we see from the outside. However, once you get to know someone, those assumptions quickly fade away as you start to understand who they are on an emotional level.
If you start as friends first, it gives both parties a chance to see how each other acts outside of society’s normal behavior. It also allows you to build trust with one another and become more comfortable in your skin.
Friends help keep each other accountable: It’s much easier for us to lose track of our goals when we don’t have anyone holding us responsible for them.
Research shows that many people who try to lose weight fail because they aren’t held accountable for their actions by anyone but themselves.
12. You’ll be able to give yourself time to date without the pressure
When getting to know someone, giving yourself time and space to fall in love with them at your own pace is essential. If you rush into a relationship before getting a chance to get to know someone well, chances are you’ll only be putting pressure on yourself and your potential partner.
Take some time to build a friendship with them first, and then decide if it feels right taking things to another level. There’s no reason to feel rushed; there will always be more fish in the sea!
Remember that friends first doesn’t mean you can never go out on dates—it just means that you shouldn’t let those dates turn into romantic outings until you both feel comfortable moving forward together.
It also means that your dates should be as low-pressure as possible so that neither of you is under any duress while trying to determine whether there could be something between you two.
Final Thoughts
Friendship is the bedrock of any thriving relationship, and If you’ve ever dreamt of an undying love that’ll keep waxing strong, why not start as friends?
These top 12 reasons to be friends before getting into a relationship will guide you to make the right choice. If your heart yearns for a partner who will love you unbent, you have to invest more time and energy into friendship.
The more you know your friend, the more you’ll love to stay around them. Therefore, the best thing to do now is to befriend your potential lover.
Before committing to a serious bond, are you ready to take them as your closest buddy? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
