Love & Sex

Uh oh: more and more people are in a delusionship

By Sophie Rietmulder | #!31Thu, 10 Aug 2023 16:30:00 +0200+02:000031#31Thu, 10 Aug 2023 16:30:00 +0200+02:00-4Europe/Amsterdam3131Europe/Amsterdam202331 10pm31pm-31Thu, 10 Aug 2023 16:30:00 +0200+02:004Europe/Amsterdam3131Europe/Amsterdam2023312023Thu, 10 Aug 2023 16:30:00 +0200304308pmThursday=9#!31Thu, 10 Aug 2023 16:30:00 +0200+02:00Europe/Amsterdam8#08-10-2023#!31Thu, 10 Aug 2023 16:30:00 +0200+02:000031#/31Thu, 10 Aug 2023 16:30:00 +0200+02:00-4Europe/Amsterdam3131Europe/Amsterdam202331#!31Thu, 10 Aug 2023 16:30:00 +0200+02:00Europe/Amsterdam8#

Beware: there is a new dating trend in town and you are probably guilty of it too. Do you fantasize a lot about someone you have never been on a date with? Do you shut yourself off from all potential dating candidates after a few fun WhatsApp conversations with a work flirt? And let's be honest: have you already planned your entire wedding in your head after a successful first date? Then you are participating in this trend and are totally in a ‘delusionship’.

Dr. Caroline West, dating expert at Bumble, explains what that means: ‘A delusionship is the enthusiasm you feel for someone with whom you do not have a committed relationship (for example, someone you see every morning on the train or someone you matched with via a dating app) but whom you have not, or rarely, met.’ Essentially, a delusionship is the modern term for a lot of daydreaming about someone and making it much more than it actually is.

Oops, guilty. And you probably are too. However, this trend is less dangerous than it initially seems. Because while it can be very annoying (and mega time-consuming) to imagine an entire life with someone you barely know, it does mean that you have a very positive outlook on dating and love. And let's face it: someone must be the true love, right? Exactly. According to Bumble, 73 percent of Gen-Zers feel the same way. I may be a true, cynical millennial, but I am also very relieved to report that romance is not dead yet. In fact, it seems to be back in style.

Just be careful that your daydreams don't get out of hand. See your fantasies as a way to ‘try someone out’ without immediately committing, but be careful not to get swept away by the ideal image of a relationship with this person. Stay open to other connections and don't make someone too perfect in your head. Ultimately, that will only lead to disappointments, and let's be honest: we already have more than enough of those in the dating world.

Source: Glamour UK