Courting, or the act of courting, is defined as the experience of establishing an intense relationship with someone, with the desire to see if marriage is correct choice for the couple. Courtship is to be accomplished without the complexity of being intimate sexually. This way, the courting couple has plenty of time to find out about each other, to build a lasting trust with, and to fully love. This is done to help them decide if they are the right person to spend eternity with!

Courtship is perhaps a rather antiquated word that was once used in order to describe the events that occur when a couple was past the dating phase, and are now involved in a more serious stage of their relationship, whereas dating has a more nonchalant implication and so implies that the couple aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive. Courtship takes place well before the couple becomes officially engaged or married. Courtship is when a man is attempting to “woo” a woman, (to win her over) with the end result being marriage.

Dating, by definition, is a social event whereby two people meet for companionship. This dating ritual is a part of the human mating process of the couple. Dating goes far beyond friendship. It is how we find out if a partner would be a good choice in an intimate relationship or marriage. That is, together, as a couple. Dating can also be a type of social courtship, with events being done by the couple. Examples of going out on a date could be going out to dinner, or going to see a movie. Probably, the most common notion of dating is that of a new “couple” who are both exploring each other socially, but with the emphasis on compatibility for the future.

A main difference between courting and dating is that in courtship, one takes the position that the couple are celibate, that there is no intimacy, and that they have no physical contact at all, until they are married. This however, is not always the case in modern society! Many couples, who have chosen courting as this type of relationship, will not spend any time together. That is, unless their family, usually the parents, are present at all times, and give their input about the couple. Courting give both the man and woman a chance to be more relaxed by, in effect, being somewhat platonic, sort of without emotional constraints, causing undue pressure.

Like everything in life, there inherently are difficulties as whether to make courting or dating the best way to proceed. For those who choose dating over courting as their preference, spending alone time with someone, whom we find attractive, can result in sexual temptations and emotions, that can be extremely difficult to resist. Courtship also has its difficulties that have to be dealt with.

“Dating is for fun. Courting is for marriage”

A main rift in courting a potential mate is that it is very difficult to handle that kind of oppressive control in a relationship. With courtship, you are under the proverbial microscope, which makes spontaneity almost impossible to achieve when the relationship is under the scrutiny of family. Courtship becomes a group endeavor which would more than likely stifle a person to be their real selves. Most couples in a relationship will do better with a one on one approach.