Dating someone new is always a nerve-wracking experience. We’re all trying to be on our best behavior and show off our most attractive qualities to our new partner, and it’s stressful as hell. However, while you might be tempted to downplay your more intense qualities, there are some aspects of your your personality you should never mute or compromise on:
- Saying how you feel. Developing feelings for the person you’re dating is a natural and normal process and voicing how you’re feeling should never be seen as a clingy, needy or a negative thing in any regard. Even if you wear heart on your sleeve or you’re the type who falls very quickly, don’t let anyone make you feel bad for expressing yourself honestly.
- Standing up for your opinions and beliefs. We’re all going to have a clash of opinions and beliefs, and often times, that can make for some great relationships — because realistically, who wants to agree on everything all the time? If you express your opinion and someone shames you for it, don’t feel the need to say sorry. Unless you’re hurting someone, you have a right to what you believe in.
- Having sex or deciding not to. Whether you want to have sex early on, or you want to wait a while and truly get to know and feel comfortable with the new person you’re dating, you shouldn’t have to apologize for it. You should never feel any guilt or shame over how you choose or don’t choose to share your body. You don’t owe anyone an apology or an explanation.
- Taking things slow. Aside from sex, if you want to take things slowly with someone and proceed with caution, that’s completely fine. Not every dating experience needs to be met with a full throttle ahead type vibe. It’s completely OK to take your time getting to know the new man in your life for who he is. In fact, in many cases, it’s pretty smart to do so.
- Calling out bad/rude behaviors. You don’t need to be a passive and submissive type to get a man to like you more. If he does something crappy that you don’t like, point it out. Speak up. Say something. Remember, the things you gloss over early on sets the tone for the entire relationship. You don’t need to be with someone so desperately that you overlook and dismiss things you don’t agree with.
- Not always being available. In the beginning stages of dating, some people get carried away with wanting to see the other person every waking moment — it happens. But if you have a genuinely busy schedule that needs attending to first, don’t feel bad for saying no in favor of doing what you have to do. It’s not playing hard to get, and it’s not a sign of disinterest; it’s simply you keeping your routine in check while welcoming someone new into your life.
- Wanting exclusivity. At a certain point in all dating experiences, you know that you either do or don’t want to move forward and take the next step. If you want to be exclusive and he’s still swiping faces on his Tinder account, don’t apologize for bringing it up. The world of modern dating has created so many blurred lines and fears that we can’t ask for too much without risking the relationship. Screw that. You should never apologize for going after what you deserve to have.
