There are plenty of people out there with a best friend of the opposite sex who think, “Hmm. What would it be like if we were boyfriend and girlfriend?” The idea might seem a bit crazy, but we at Her Beauty are all about craziness. Which is why dating your best friend is an awesome idea for so many reasons! In fact, we’ve settled upon 10 reasons to keep in mind if you decide to date yours!
1. They’re already aware of your weird side
When you start dating somebody you don’t know, there is a tendency to feel guarded lest you scare them off. So you try not to mess things up by telling a goofy joke that they might take the wrong way or generally acting like the funny weirdo that you are. But guess what? When your best friend discovered that you were a goofball when you were just friends, they didn’t run away, right? Right!
2. You get to skip some of the uncomfortable steps
During the usually dating process, there are moments when you worry about a lot of things. Is he/she really as honest as you hope? Is he/she suddenly going to ghost you at the exact moment when you’re in love? Or are they going to drop the bombshell that they aren’t entirely over their old flame and that dating you is just a way to test themselves. Fortunately, when you are dating your best friend, none of these issues will ever come up.
3. Your dreams and expectations are clear
Under normal circumstances, there are certain things that are left unsaid at the beginning of a relationship. For instance, if you are only dating for a month, it would be presumptuous (and way too early!) to ask them if they’re planning to stick around in your town a year from now, or if they will find a job on the other side of the country that dooms your relationship. But when your best friend becomes your significant other, you already know what their long-term plans are. And if they decided they wanted to do something cool and dramatic like move to China to teach English, you would even go with them without giving it a second thought!
4. You already know a ton about each other
Moving from best friend to romantic partner is generally a seamless process since you already have a full understanding of each others’ personalities. You feel relaxed being yourself and have told each other things about yourself that you might not otherwise tell a boyfriend/girlfriend who wasn’t previously a best friend.
5. You’ll be able to solve problems together more easily
The reason you were best friends is because you were able to find ways to get along. You compromised, you were able to be blunt without hurting each others feelings, and you didn’t pointless snap at each other over little things. Now that you’re in a relationship, this ability to be sincere as well as find common ground will be a huge plus going forward!
6. You’ve already built memories together
As you move into a romantic relationship, the solid foundation in which it is based was already built when you became best friends. You can make references to the lazy days of watching movies together, calling them up spontaneously to meet up for coffee when you were feeling bored or lonely, and all of those inside jokes that created the friendship bond that has now extended into your relationship together.
7. You already have a lot in common
One of the issues that couples face when they are entering a relationship is the concern that while there is mutual attraction, they really don’t seem to have a lot of common interests. In the long-term, this is bound to become a problem. But when the couple started off as best friends, there are definitely no worries about whether you will find mutual hobbies or otherwise enjoy the same things. After all, the whole “we have a lot in common” thing was the reason you had become best friends in the first place!
8. Your families already like each other
Meeting your boyfriend/girlfriend’s parents for the first time can often be a stressful endeavor. You have to make a great impression and show that you are worthy of their son or daughter. But when you were merely best friends, his/her parents had a chance to become comfortable with you and see that you’re a cool person without any of the pressures that would have come with dating that person.
9. You know each other’s irritations
In many cases, the first argument in a relationship is caused by a misunderstanding that ends up getting completely blown out of proportion, such as a perceived slight or negative comment when it wasn’t intended to hurt their feelings. But as best friends you discovered what bothered each other, which means you already know what to avoid doing, which means no lovers’ quarrels. Hooray for peace, love, and harmony!
10. You’re dating your best friend
You’re…dating…your…best…friend!!! What more is there to say?