We see examples of it on the television, read about it in magazines and learn about it the classroom, locker room and on the street. Sociologists study it as do psychologists, behaviorists, educators and biologists.

The subject is pervasive. Dating with all its foibles is regular fodder for movies and television series. Books extol the art of dating and/or finding your “soul mate”. The ideology of romantic love, “true love” and the “ideal mate” are  expounded page after page or in scene after scene.

According to this approach, the first date is the start of this journey. In many movies and pulp fiction, the first date is where the hero and heroine start-off on their journey into the ultimate adventure of eternal happiness.

This quest for eternal happiness is not a modern dilemma. It dates back centuries. It is part of many different philosophical approaches to life. Dating, however, is a new phenomenon. It is only around a century old. It is an evolutionary process affected by technological and sociological changes.

Dating has to do with relationships and experimentation. It concerns the search for economic, societal and emotional security. It is about compromise and expansion. It is also, believe it or not, fun.

Dating is amusing and daunting. It is scary and exciting. It can be an adventure or a calamity. In fact, sometimes, it can be a bit of both. In the search for the ideal date, you are bound to make a few mistakes. Relax. Everybody does. It is rare to find exactly who you want to be with on your first outing. 

Think of it as a learning experience, a great adventure, time well spent. Certainly, it is more interesting than watching the news, although it can sometimes feel you may soon be on it as you are quickly becoming part of a train wreck.