Think that you’ve found the one on an online dating website? Here are things to look for in someone that would indicate serious relationship potential!
In this blog post, we’ll be discussing
- Whether online dating is a real way to find someone
- How to discern whether you found someone to discern a relationship with
- 12 signs that are a good indicator that you’ve found a keeper
Is Online Dating a Real Way to Find a Relationship?
With today’s modern technology, online dating is a popular way to meet a romantic partner. An American study of over 19,000 people married between 2005 and 2012, found that over a third had started their relationships online. The study also concluded that the marriages of couples who met online were less likely to end in a divorce in comparison to couples who met in a more traditional way.
It’s possible to meet someone to spend the rest of your life with online. But just how do you know when you’ve met that person?
How Do You Know When You’ve Found A Keeper?
After spending time on an online dating website, you may have met someone who sparked your interest. You’ve spent time chatting with them online, and maybe you’ve had a few phone calls. If you’re both local, maybe you’ve talked about meeting up in person.
Could a relationship with this person be worth pursuing? How can you discern whether you’ve found a keeper through an online dating site? Here are twelve key signs to look for.
12 Signs You Found a Keeper On A Dating Website
1. You Feel Like You’ve Known Them Forever
Even though you may have met someone online a few weeks ago, it seems like you’ve been friends for much longer. But, at the same time, hours fly by when you’re chatting online or talking with each other on the phone.
2. He/She Shows Interest In YOUR Interest
As you get to know someone, you may find that you don’t share in all of your interests. Maybe you enjoy spending the weekend outdoors, but they would prefer to catch a movie. This doesn’t mean that you’re incompatible as a couple!
If the person you met expresses genuine interest in your hobbies, stories, and background, that’s a great sign that they value your individual story. Dale Carnegie, in his book How to Win Friends and Influence People, says, “You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.”
3. He/She Asks Open-ended Questions to Get to Know You
You can only learn so much from someone by asking ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions. If you’ve met someone and they ask open-ended questions to learn more about you, your interests, and your life, this shows that they’re invested in getting to know you.
Open-ended questions allow you to express your feelings on a subject and expand on your thoughts. Your conversation shouldn’t feel like a survey!
4. He/She Has the Same Relationship Values
You may not come from the same background, part of the country, or even part of the world, but faith and values are the strongest starting point for a romantic relationship.
Read more: Yes, You Can Date Someone Who Comes from a Different Background than Yours
You’ll face challenges in any relationship, but having a shared set of values can make conflict easier to navigate.
5. He/She Isn’t Always Online
Smart phones offer an incredible amount of information and entertainment in today’s culture. But if someone you’ve met online is addicted to their cell phone or is online all the time, meaningful interaction with them can be impossible when you meet in person.
If you log onto your dating website profile and often find that they’re not online, this can be a good indicator of a healthy interaction with the internet or technology. You don’t want to be in a relationship with someone who pays more attention to their phone than they do to your conversation!
6. He/She Asks You on a Date Sooner Than Later
Dating websites are a great place to meet someone, but a website isn’t a great first date. If the person you’ve met on a dating website asks you if you’d like to meet in person, that’s a great sign.
After all, meeting someone in person and getting to know them is the entire point of creating a profile on an online dating site.
7. He/She Challenges You
Loving someone means to will their good. Sometimes that means encouraging someone and challenging them to grow. If the person that you met online challenges you to become better, this means that they care about your personal growth.
Although a relationship with no challenges sounds like a great option, it would also be a relationship without any growth. After all, we’re all called to grow towards perfection in the Lord.
8. He/She Respects Your Family and Gets to Know Them
When you meet someone online, it can be easy to dedicate almost all of your free time to getting to know them. But no one, no matter how wonderful they are, can fulfill all of your social and emotional needs.
If you’ve met someone who respects your time with friends and family and also shows interest in getting to know them, this shows that they value those relationships in your life. Spending time with friends and family also provides you both with opportunities to share about your relationships and how you spend your time with those you love.
9. He/She Respects Their Own Family
Spending time with someone’s family may seem intimidating at first, but it can reveal a lot about their personality. How someone treats their parents, siblings, extended family, and friends can show how they interact in relationships.
If they treat their family with respect, it’s a good sign that respecting others is one of their values.
10. He/ She Respects Your Boundaries
Healthy relationships are all about establishing boundaries. When I first started dating my now-husband, one of the first conversations that we had was about boundaries in our own relationship.
Boundaries are a guide when you start a local or long-distance relationship, or strengthen the relationship you’re in right now. Boundaries provide structure that you need not only to guard your own heart from getting hurt, but also to set your relationship up for success.
11. He/She Supports You
You know you’ve found a keeper when the person that you’ve met encourages and supports you. Maybe they support your academic career, your job, or your passions. Regardless of the area of your life that they provide support, this shows that they sharing an interest in your passions and success.
12. He/She Lifts Your Spirit
In his first Letter to the Thessalonians, Saint Paul reminded new Christians to “encourage one another and build one another up.” Spending time with someone you are discerning a relationship with should leave you feeling joyful, not stressed out.
If the time you spend together encourages you and strengthens you, then it’s a good sign that you’ve found a keeper!
Conclusion
Discerning whether to pursue a relationship with someone online can be a challenge. There are certain signs that reveal if someone is on the same page as you are when it comes to a new relationship!
Hopefully you find these twelve signs helpful when it comes to considering – or not considering! – a future relationship.
