We've all dated that one person who asserts they're "not into labels" when it comes to relationships. Or maybe that's you. And to that end, even the most casual, uncommitted, purely sexual relationships need labels so that all those terms are clearly spelled out. This can be as simple as discussing whether or not you are just friends, friends with romantic intentions to move forward, or in a committed dating relationship," Tubbs tells mbg.
It's about being kind to each other and about protecting the feelings of both of you. Misunderstandings hurt, and communication is really the only way to avoid them. It doesn't feel good to be in a nerve-wracking fog of assumptions and hopes, nor does it feel good to feel like you need to withhold affection or dodge certain types of activities as a means of passively asserting your detachment.
When you've agreed on what you're doing with each other, you can both stop having to dance around the unspoken truth and simply enjoy the relationship for whatever it is. Even if the behaviors in the relationship don't change, people's experience of the relationship often differs under different titles.
There are situations when a relationship without labels might make sense, Francis says. Oftentimes, a person who says they "don't do labels" is using that as a way to say they don't want to be tied to certain relationship expectations or commitments that don't currently appeal to them.
But what's important to understand about relationship labels is that they're not necessarily about making a relationship more committed, more serious, or exclusive. Not talking about the terms of your relationship does not mean you don't have one.
