Thinking about going on a date with that person who always wears that squirrel suit? Why not? It could make for a good "tail" to tell later. How about when your Summer fling suggests mixing baked goods and sex? Well, that might take the cake story-wise and add some spice to your life, both literally and figuratively.

Going through with these things might be examples of "dating for the plot," a phrase that's been making the rounds on social media. In this case, however, the plot is the storyline of your life.

Such an approach to dating is about being less goal-directed and transactional and more willing to see what may happen. It's part of a larger trend of "doing it for the plot," where you let experiencing life be more of a driving factor behind daily decisions than always having professional, social, and personal advancement and achievement as a sole focus.

You probably know someone who views dating as something like shopping on Amazon for a ceiling fan. That person has strict criteria as to what a long-term partner should look and act like and will only go on dates with people who match these criteria. When it comes to dating, that person is very focused on getting what they think they want and will just say no to anything that seems to fall outside this narrow orbit. Heck, that person may even........

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