The Science of Mating

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The 3-3-3 rule suggests having three key checkpoints during the earlier stages of dating someone.

The first checkpoint is after three dates, since you've had three timepoints to confirm some impressions.

The second checkpoint is after three weeks, and the third is after three months.

Not all dating rules will help your relationships—but this one might. It's the 3-3-3 dating rule that you may have seen on social media and different parts of the internet.

The 3-3-3 rule suggests that you should have three key checkpoints during the earlier stages of dating someone—after three dates, after three weeks, and after three months. These are checkpoints for you to evaluate where things are at, whether there is actually a real fit between the two of you, and whether you should continue to deepen ties versus cut them altogether.

Now it's important to take all so-called dating rules with at least three grains of salt, and the 3-3-3 rule is no exception. One size doesn't fit all—or perhaps, in this case, three sizes don't fit all—when it comes to dating and relationships, which can proceed in many different ways and at different timelines. So, it's good to remain appropriately flexible and adaptable.

However, having some kind of structured checkpoints can be helpful because clear thinking and dating don't always go together. It could also "three" you from spending too much time in a pairing........

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