I don’t usually like to label relationships. I certainly don’t like putting people into categories. However, when it comes to a situationship, I believe it is helpful. Not only because it defines and clarifies a type of romantic relationship, but because you may not realize that you are in one.
But why should you be concerned about a situationship?
It’s because we place certain expectations and attach behaviors to a romantic relationship. Husbands and wives promise to be together in sickness and in health. Girlfriends and boyfriends can be exclusive and therefore off-limits.
Then there are the friends with benefits relationship, the almost relationship, the casual bootie-call hook-up, one-night stands. All these relationships have unwritten rules and we behave accordingly. It’s when we misread the kind of relationship we are in that things get messy.
If you didn’t realize you were in a situationship you may want to consider your options.
Table of Contents
A situationship is an ambiguous relationship with no clear structure or boundaries. By its nature it is undefined. You are not really a couple, nor are you “friends with benefits”, although you may hook up for sex occasionally.
You have a ‘thing’ going with this other person. You don’t see them regularly and you are not exclusive. There is no commitment and you meet when it is mutually convenient.
A situationship is more than a friendship but less than actively dating someone or a romantic commitment between two people.
There is an unwritten rule within situationships that neither parties develop feelings for one another. However, often one person has stronger feelings than the other and is hoping that over time this may grow into a proper relationship.
No one wants to be bombarded by texts and calls; it smacks of desperation. But to go weeks without a word is weird right? Not if you are in a situationship. That’s the whole point of situationships. You only make a commitment when it suits you.
Perhaps you only hear from them when they want something from you, and it isn’t always sex. They might be bored or lonely and are missing the friendship aspect of your relationship.
Situationships are, by their nature, ambiguous and vague. They don’t have clearly defined parameters as a boyfriend and girlfriend relationship does. As a result, they don’t come with the same expectations as other relationships.
You can tell if you are getting serious in your relationship because your partner will suggest meeting their parents. If the subject doesn’t even come up then you should think about what kind of relationship you are in.
One of the exciting things about dating is making plans to see your partner. If you have no idea from week to week when you will see a girlfriend or boyfriend then this is a huge red flag. Living in this kind of limbo is unsettling for some people.
I don’t know about you but I like to make plans. Planning gives me something to look forward to. I can arrange my diary and let friends and family know if I am available. Not knowing from one week to the next if I will see my boyfriend would be exhausting. And it would seriously annoy my friends if I kept bailing on them.
Usually, during dating, we tend to see the person we like more often and more regularly. The dates also increase in length. In situationships, it all depends on what’s going on in that person’s life.
So, for instance, one week you might have multiple dates and then not see that person for the next month. Your life comes first and the date way down on your list of priorities. Usually, in dating and romantic relationships, your partner is much further up the list. Your dating life doesn’t have to be like this.
If you do make plans they happen at the last minute and are only short-term. You may get a call and an hour later you are meeting at a train station and going away for the weekend. Or there is a text early Friday evening asking if you are free for drinks or a movie.
It’s all about convenience and fitting that person into your schedule. If you are both free and feel like meeting up then great. If not, you won’t bother.
Do you feel as if you are being hidden away? It’s one thing to be kept from meeting the parents, but have you ever bumped into one of their friends while the pair of you were out? If you go venture out, do you go way out of town and never date in your local area?
Is it weird that you only ever seem to get takeout or rent a movie and stay in? Ask yourself why this person doesn’t want to be seen with you. That’s not normal behavior, but it is one of the signs of situationship.
Although situationships are not kept a closely guarded secret, they are not broadcast to the world either. As such, you won’t find much evidence of chats or interactions between partners on social media.
Most communication will be via text messages or calls. For a start, it’s quicker because you know your partner will respond swiftly to a text or call. The other thing is that many people in situationships don’t want the hassle of explaining their relationship to friends or family members.
If you only ever talk about the small stuff your partner may be avoiding getting too emotionally involved. When we become romantically attached to someone we want to ask meaningful questions. This is to ascertain whether they are a good match for us. We may ask about having children in the future, what political leanings this person has, are they religious?
Use this tool to check whether he actually is who he says he is
Whether you're married or have just started seeing someone, infidelity rates are on the rise and have increased over 40% in the last 20 years, so you have all the right to be worried.
Perhaps you want to know if he's texting other women behind your back? Or whether he has active Tinder or dating profile? Or worse yet, whether he has a criminal record or is cheating on you?
This tool will do just that and pull up any hidden social media and dating profiles, photos, criminal records, and much more to hopefully help put your doubts to rest.
We’ll also want to know the basics, for example, how much do they earn, where do they live and what do they do for work. Do they get on with their family, do they have a wide circle of friends, and have they been in trouble with the law. Small talk is fine at the beginning of a relationship but it is a sign of non-committal if it carries on.
When we are dating a person we are excited about being with, we want to share new experiences with them. If the reason for seeing that person is to fulfill a different need then there is no need to change our experiences.
The simplest example of this is sex, but people enter into a situationship for many other reasons. Situationships are less demanding than full-on relationships but still offer intimacy and someone to hook up with.
Situationships are perfectly fine if they suit both partners. However, you’ll often find that one person develops stronger feelings and wants more from the relationship. The other person might be unwilling to give up the convenience of casual sex with no strings.
Or, this could be a way of benching you. They are not quite willing to let you go but they are not prepared to fully commit because someone better may come along. They don’t want the label of a commitment.
Healthy relationships build your confidence, they help to raise your self-esteem. Their very nature should be loving and positive and uplifting. You should be excited and bursting with joy when you think about your loved one.
Okay, I may have gone a little over the top, but one thing you certainly should not be is anxious. Anxious about when you will see or hear from them. Anxious about whether they are seeing someone else. Anxious about what they are doing when you don’t hear from them in weeks. That’s a sign of an unhealthy situation.
Is the nearest you get to future plans the vague half promise of perhaps a text in a couple of weeks? When two people are in a relationship they will discuss plans. These plans may not involve one another, but they will each have an idea at least of what they’ll be doing.
I’m not talking about marriage or kids or retirement. I mean simple week-to-week stuff, like planning a weekend away or not being available because your cousin is getting married.
At the end of the day, we go into a relationship because we like this person and we want to find out as much as we can about them. Not only that but we can’t help but talk about them to our inner circle.
It is a sign that you are in a situationship if you cannot answer the most basic questions about your partner.
A situationship is an ambiguous kind of relationship that is not properly defined. It is not a committed relationship, nor is it simply a friends with benefits type of relationship. It is casual and people do go on dates but there is no consistency with contact and emotional connection is low.
It is not bad in itself if it is what both parties want and understand that they are in this type of relationship. It can be convenient if the people involved are busy and are not interested in a full-on committed relationship.
A situationship becomes toxic when one partner wants more from the relationship and the other lies to keep the relationship going. They might make excuses and say they are busy right now but in the future, there will be a proper relationship. They’ll make the other person hang on thinking there is a chance of something more.
Situationships should last as long as they are mutually beneficial to both partners. In this respect, they can last for weeks, months, and years. It becomes a problem when one person wants more than the other is willing to give.
Kittenfishing is where you present a better image of yourself online to attract potential dates. It is not the same as catfishing where someone will take on a whole new persona.
Situationship is neither bad nor wrong, it all depends on how you feel about your situation. Only you know in your heart if this is the right kind of relationship for you.
Utilize this tool to verify if he's truly who he claims to be
Whether you're married or just started dating someone, infidelity rates have risen by over 40% in the past 20 years, so your concerns are justified.
Do you want to find out if he's texting other women behind your back? Or if he has an active Tinder or dating profile? Or even worse, if he has a criminal record or is cheating on you?
This tool can help by uncovering hidden social media and dating profiles, photos, criminal records, and much more, potentially putting your doubts to rest.
