I know using the term dating has many romantic connotations attached to it, and that makes sense because it is a primarily romantic term. In saying that this will be divided into two parts. Romantically dating your friends and platonically dating them.
Unlike similar thing I have written here I will not be including definitions and that's because defining dating is hard enough as it is, and doing it in a way that is not exclusively romantic is even more difficult. Even though I do think that these are both important things I will be starting with romantically, because platonically isn't as commonly thought about and will be a nice idea to think about at the end.
(For clarification purposes romantically dating your friends will be henceforth be known as dating your friend and it's platonic counterpart will be referred to as going on dates with your friends. Also these distinctions will becom clearer the longer you read.)
So dating your friends is definitely a risky maneuver, and that is the reason it is not done more often. But with any relationship worth having there's risk. And with this one there's the risk that if you do end up breaking up, which is always a possibility. Will you still be friends? Will your common friends be put in a situation where they have to choose sides? But I mean if you are considering starting a romantic relationship with a friend it should be a well thought out decision, not just a snap judgement, and therefore should be taken seriously. Because if we're being honest, if you're in a place with a friend where you both think that dating is a good idea, you are probably mature enough to continue your friendship if it doesn't work out with minimal whiplash circumstances pending of course. You might now be asking yourself but why risk dating your friends when you could just find someone exclusively for dating. Well that's easy, because dating someone you don't know is hard. Why bother going out and meeting someone just to date when you've got friends. They already know you, they know your quirks and faults, your strengths and history. They already know you, and you know them. You don't have to go through the whole awkward getting to know each other phase. You've already spent time together and don't have to worry about how to act around them because they already know if you're acting fake or not and will hopefully call you out on it. By dating your friend you two can be very much yourselves so much faster and avoid a lot of the awkwardness surrounding dating. When you think about it, if they aren't willing to be your friend why are you actually dating them in the first place. (Those people who say that they don't want to be friends they just want to be more, aren't really worth being either. True friends shouldn't give all or nothing ultimatums. That's just a douche move.) Well unless you are dating just for the sake of dating and not for the purpose of building your relationship towards a lifelong partnership. After all, if you really think about it, why would you actually date someone who wasn't your friend. There is a reason that they're called girlfriends or boyfriends. As I see it, there really is no better choice when wanting to date someone than choosing a friend to date.
On to going on dates with your friends. A very different concept than the one stated above, but much easier to grasp. So we all have friends, or at least I hope we all have friends. I know hanging out with friends is fun, and the feeling that they give you is great, ans one of the best things about friends is that you have someone to talk to. But sometimes you take your friends for granted, and though not necessarily intentional it is truly disappointing when it happens. (This is why I wanted the distinction between dating your friends and going on dates with your friends.) So you know the "getting to know you things" I mentioned that you don't really have to worry about by dating your friends. It is truly one of the big advantages of going on dates with your friends, except once again not as awkward. Because of course assuming that you're already passed the lowest level of friendship you should always be trying to get to know your friends better. You know what else is a good idea for building and strengthening friendships, spending one on one time with them. And really should be making a big deal out of this they are your friend after all. You should be getting all dressed up and going out to a proper sit down meal with your friends, you should be grabbing a coffee and going for a conversation filled walk with them.
Spending one on one time together, talking, and learning more about each other. Growing your relationship, because friendship is a type of relationship after all. You know what all that sounds like to me: Dates. As I mentioned before, you need to go on dates with your friends, literally. This is of course because though romantic relationships are fun and can be quite enjoyable, it really is your friendships that truly matter. (Despite how little I have written about the subject of friendships so far.)
So now I've told you why you should date your friends and why you should go on dates with your friends. Sorry if this seems weird and confusing, but honestly romantic dating is weird and confusing hopefully thus helps make it easier.
Post Script: Date your friends also, date your friends. A day later than the rest isn't too bad considering I wrote this in two days so that I could keep up my posting streak. It's three weeks in a row now. I'm feeling proud of myself. Also I'm not out of ideas or in a funk yet so that's nice.
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