What is circular dating and should you explore it?

Putting all your eggs in one basket has its pros and cons.

By Adit Ganguly

10 February, 2024

What is circular dating and should you explore it?

Some of us who seek true love are guilty of ruining our chances, constantly worrying about the person and how to keep the conversation and the relationship going. And a way to fix that, as it turns out, is a new dating trend called "circular dating".

For the unaware, circular dating is a term coined by US relationship coach Rori Raye, which basically means having to date at least three people at once, in order to find ‘your special someone’.

The rules of circular dating

The primary motive of circular dating is to find someone you can have a long-standing relationship with. How this works, is you go about dating multiple people (at least three) at the same time and then evaluate each one of them before choosing who you want to be with. And if you're still not sure about either, you could replace one with another, until you find the right one. In doing so, you ensure that you’re not putting all your eggs in one basket.

Adopting a first come first serve policy, in circular dating, ensures that you only make yourself available for the person who calls first, rather than change your schedule to have a date with the person you like most (not until you know for sure). Following these simple rules of circular dating, you see to it that you’re meeting people from all walks of life, whilst keeping your options open.

The power is in your hands

One of the biggest pros of circular dating is that it gives you the power to choose what’s best for you. Instead of worrying about whether someone likes you, you continue to date and decide if you like them. And if you don't feel a connection, then that is where things come to an end. This process continues until you find the one that deserves a very special place in your heart, making you want to stop circular dating and just be with them.

What do you get out of circular dating?

By meeting new people, you get to learn a lot about how you connect and communicate with different people—what gets their attention, what makes them attractive, how you react to them, and vice versa. You also get to discover yourself in the process—the new and old parts of yourself, your likes and dislikes, patterns and beliefs, etc.

What circular dating isn’t?

There’s one simple rule when it comes to circular dating—do not give anyone the impression that you’re seeing them exclusively when you’re not. Simply stop circular dating once you know for sure that there is a person whom you like and want to spend time with. But if you have a partner who is loyal, consistent, and wants to be in a relationship with you, and if you decide that you want things to work out, then circular dating is the worst thing you could do. Similarly, if you're with someone who appears to be a walking-talking red flag, then forget circular dating and dump them immediately.

Rookie mistakes to avoid in circular dating

First and most important, never go to the same place with different people. You never know what trouble you might run into with the staff! Secondly, don’t plan two dates on the same day. You don’t want to get confused about conversations you already had on an earlier date. Also, when you’re circular dating, it’s best not to post anything on social media because you never know who is connected to whom.

Also read: What to do when you have a crush on two people at the same time?

Also read: What is stack dating and should you be doing it?

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