The game

There is a mechanism that keeps people single until they are ready. Don’t worry, it’s natural since it has been around since the beginning. Some embrace it, some rebel against it, but no one can really deny it. I’m talking about the dating game.

I was in high school the first time I heard about this game and I thought it was a joke. The second time was my freshman year in college and I got very intimidated by it. It was that “deer- in the headlights” feeling. Suddenly I had to analyze every interaction I had ever had. From there, it took me a lot of time to actually get it down. This is good, because it protected me from obtaining what I sought.

I believe the dating game has a purpose. It is like a puzzle or a riddle one must crack in order to make it past the single dating life.

In my opinion, the dating game is most important for women to understand, but these things can apply to men, too. Don’t stress out, it can take time and practice to get it down. Here are some of the rules to the game for those women out there.

1. Don’t invite him home the first week.
2. Don’t play in college if you are 17 years old.
3. Don’t give him baby clothes for a gag gift at Christmas.
4. Don’t ask him how many kids he wants on the first date.
5. Don’t define the relationship (DTR) at the doorstep on the first date and say, “Where do you see us going?”
6. Don’t talk about your ex all of the time.
7. Don’t say “we” and “our” a lot while first dating.
8. Don’t “accidently” text the guy a picture of the ring you like or leave it open on your browser.
9. Don’t be super clingy.

10. Don’t change your Facebook relationship status before talking about it.

People really do these things. Some happen less often than others, but they happen. The more familiar one becomes with the game, the more one is able to avoid these and other less tragic mistakes.

Why does it have to be a game? Men like games. We don’t know why, but it is the truth. They traditionally play more video games and watch more athletic games, but it didn’t start with technology. Before technology, there were things like fishing and hunting, which are basically the same thing.

So how do I make it a game? The task for a woman is to run just a little bit faster than the guy, figuratively, of course. Why run? Well, the woman must cause the guy to doubt the budding relationship just a little. If he is sure about anything, then it stops being a game. But you have to be in reach at the same time.

What if I don’t want to play? You don’t have to play the game if you don’t want to. All of the chick flick stories are about women who don’t realize they are making a game for the men. This process can happen naturally in some cases, but it won’t be in your control. The game helps the girl have a say in which guy she desires. Those who get good at playing will have more of a choice in who to date.

Caution: The game is not a bad thing. It is just a thing, but as a word of caution, be sure you don’t let the guy know you are playing the dating game because they may feel like an object even though they probably shouldn’t. If the girl is willing to put so much planning and effort into a guy, then he should feel flattered.