Dating Vs Courtship

Dating and courtship are two sides of the same coin. There is a very close connection between the two terms, but there are some major differences that set them apart. It is nice to understand how they are similar and how they are different from one another, understanding the differences will surely highlight the usage of the two words correctly as well as apply them in real life. It’s worth mentioning that courtship is rather an obsolete word that is no longer used widely, instead the word serious relationship has replaced it.

Following are some of the main points of differences and distinctions between Between dating and courtship:

Dating has a more informal connotation; whereas, courtship has a more formal connotation.

Dating has no commitment or obligation to marry the other person; whereas, courtship is only undertaken when parties are prepared to make a lifelong commitment of marriage.

Dating has no prerequisite of maturity or readiness for marriage; whereas, courtship only occurs when parties are fully matured and are ready to get married to each other.

Dating usually involves individual goals of having fun and enjoying romantic moments; whereas, courtship comes with mutual goals of fulfilling each other’s needs.

Dating includes no accountability to anyone for the outcome; whereas, in courtship both parties are equally answerable to family and community.

Dating has no involvement of any family members; whereas, courtship starts with the involvement of family members who remain in close touch throughout the period.

Dating starts with initial attraction or liking without the involvement of any outside person; whereas, courtship starts with an outside person and then later it leads to attraction or liking.

Dating sets boundaries by mutual consent of both parties; whereas, courtship boundaries are set by family or a close ally.

Dating is based of self-gratification and intimacy may precede commitment; whereas, courtship is for a higher purpose where commitment must precede physical intimacy.

Dating may last for a few meetings and may end at any time; whereas, courtship lasts as long as the couple takes to arrive at the decision of getting married.

Dating has no real intended outcome as it can be just for having fun or it may be to get into something more serious; whereas, courtship is intended to get finally engaged and get married.

Dating has no inbuilt rule that prevents both parties to see other prospects at the same time with or without consent; whereas, courtship is totally exclusive and it would be totally unacceptable to see anyone else at the same time.

Dating is a new modern phenomenon and never even existed earlier; whereas, courtship is an ancient concept and its usage has significantly diminished over time.

For all practical purposes and in the current times, dating is the initial stage where a couple interacts and courtship or exclusive dating or a serious relationship is the stage right before the couple gets engaged or married. Dating is just to test the waters and courtship occurs with marriage as the only goal. In other words, dating is open-ended with really no set rules or guidelines. The term courtship is only used when for marriage is the main goal or the end result.

Main Points Of Differences And Distinctions Between Dating And Courtship