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Dating Literally, means the act of going out on
dates. In Western societies, a date is an occasion when one
socializes with a potential lover or spouse: it is a pre-scheduled,
usually exclusive meeting of two people with mutual interest
in one another, to communicate with and to understand each other
better through joint participation in one or more social activities
during time away from work or school. In this sense, the purpose
of a date is for the people dating to become acquainted with
each other and decide whether they want to have a relationship.
Dating often begins at the teenage age, but younger children
may date as well. Double-dating, when two potential couples
go out on a joint-date, is particularly popular with young people.
There may be even larger "group dates" in some cases.
During dates, people often explore each other's personalities,
to discover whether or not they would be compatible together
in a relationship. Usually, if the two individuals discover
that they have poor or low compatibility, it signals the end
of the relationship and there will be no "second date," and
often no further communication at all.
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