h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

If it weren't for dating the Human race would have stopped about 5000 years ago. It's not the best system, but it seems to have worked well enough so far. Look at all the people who do end up happy. And Imagine if your parents hadn't dated? Also, does the author have any better ideas?

You're wrong. Dating hasn't been the driving force behind our entire history. For the greater part of human existance, in fact, mating was determined by arrangements, family traditions, religion, etc, etc. At the very least, it was seen that a man need only gain a woman's family's permission to take her and make her his mate. But now that we live in an equal opportunity world (well, most of us, anyway), we're forced to use dating, a practice which involves constant self-examination, insecurity, and uncertainty.. A practice which has also lead to many broken families and emotional breakdowns among its participants.

1) But isn't uncertainty a part of the sense of life? How bored would I become if would know everything for sure!
2) There are a lot of people out there seeing the whole thing as some sort of sport, leaving the actual target of getting married or whatever completely secondary. Which is great fun.

Dating as a game is great fun if:

a:both or possibly all the participants are aware of and playing the same game.

b:the rules are clear.

Dating is awkward and silly, at least for most people.
Some people have an inheriant talent for dating. Some people couldn't date if their life depended on it. Many people just fudge it.

I fudge it. Frequently.

But obviously, it could be worse

The refenece to self-examination as a bad thing disturbs me. Is not self-examination good?

Self-examination, while it is a difficult thing, I think can strengthen a person. It can add security of personality to the person. Upon examining one's self one can see the faults that they have and may not realize, thereby allowing the person to work on correcting those faults. This, of course, if it is an honest self-examination. It also can point out the person's strong points, so that in the future those strong points can be accentuated.

In a sense it is also a process of weeding out the weaker personalities through natural selection. The strength of character which is required to survive the self examination process with one's sanity at least mostly intact is the measure that dating can guage.

I think the world can be a better place with more stable people and personalities providing the leadership in society, both publicly and in the family.

But it is not necessarily true that a sane(or at least on-psychopathic) person will have more trouble in sefl-examination than a nice honest person. In fact the nice, decent honest person is more likely to have a problem than a psychopath- who probably really doesnt care.

Anyway all thoughts of self-examination and preparation tend to go out of the window, along with the prepared PC statements the minute alcohol gets involved. Which it inevitably does.

Maybe the hardest part of a date- is finding a person who you would like to date(and mutually returns the sentiment) in the first place. In a world of Bunny Boilers and plain miserable commuters - its hard enough trying to meet the first criteria.


Politically Correct - The act of trying to say things without actually saying anything. While we all abhor racism and derogatory terms- sometimes nice people actually find themselves edging around a difficult subject when the better thing would have been to come right out with it. Its kind of like that big spot on your flatmates chin that you think you should mention before he goes on the aforementioned date- you know you should say something- but how would be the best way...

The London tube system - a great way to travel- but a waste of space to attempt to pick up there. Even if you see a potentially gorgeous member of the sex to your preference - you can guarantee your chances of talking to them are nill- they will in fact discount you as a nutter along with the preachers and spoon players.

Oooooh, I like fudge.....

that was very good....so can we take it from that,that u dont date???

I dated many times in Oman mainly in the company of the 'Hallas' date a scrumptious oozing fruit which in english means 'Ultimate'. exuberantly priced and amber coloured I struck up a consummated long-term relationship with this exemplary fruit of the palm. For the times she was away I could avail myself of the dessicated variety - weavil enriched and with a stickiness rivalling araldite.

What is dating? It depends on your mood, aims, intellect, lifestyle and many other social factors. You can make it in the way you like and work out your own rules. When you find a "potencial mate" you have to invent a plan (the more sophisticated it will be the more interesting game you will have) for him/her to accept these rules. The peak of satisfaction is when you and your mate are on the same wave and enjoy the flow of communication.