It only becomes difficult when we create and apply made-up concepts and rules that force us to believe that a certain life path exists and that not only is it achievable, but it's the correct and right path to follow

It's insane how many people project this stuff as normal like there's a universal say-so in who creates and enforce dating culture rules and norms and that straying away from this will lead to a life of dating life punishment for your dating sins. Every day people obsess over things who pays for the first date, how much effort should be put into the first date, criteria to meet hypothetical standards, and what the people they won't date are doing, and so on

To make things worse, imaginary concepts hijacked (because they certainly didn't come up with these things on their own, can't stress enough how much of their "ideas" are stolen, they just have louder voices reaching wider audiences) by dating influencers have seeped into the very foundation of dating. So in addition to the dating rules, people are also obsessing over high and low value men (I first saw HVM on FDS in 2019 and now it's synonymous with Kevin Samuels. This is what I mean by influencers hijacking concepts they pretend to be experts on), their partner's past sex life, scenarios for the type of person they will and won't date, methods people like single moms have to follow to date and so much more other bullshit

It's like no one else sees how insufferably miserable all this is making the dating world. I cannot stress enough how easy dating is when you don't get caught up in confining yourself to meet strict standards because you believe it'll lead to dating salvation. Restricting yourself doesn't allow you to apply growth as an individual. If you're mid 40s and in love with a woman but won't date her because she's a single mother because you told yourself at 16-17 there's no virtue in that, you're impeding your own happiness for the sake of who or whatever convinced you dating a single mom is wrong and impressing that standard means more than your happiness

The happiest people, whether they be single or a couple, are the ones that don't apply these strict narratives to their dating lives. Please don't interpret this as me saying couples don't fight or dry spells don't suck THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEAN BY EASY. But at the end of the day, if they're successful and satisfied in dating, they certainly aren't making a big deal over the moment the server brings the check

Sure she was a "slut" in her 20s but now she's in the happiest 10+ year marriage with the family life the body count (or n count?) crowd can only dream over. That man's girlfriend doesn't care he frequented sex work and went to strip clubs in the past and she doesn't care that you won't date a man like that, she's happy. The financially struggling dude isn't a "LVM" he could just be a student and I'm willing to bet women find him way more pleasant because he doesn't perpetually live in the state of fear of being "played". The "simp" has the girlfriend you'll never have

The trend here is that those miserable projected rules, standards, and norms don't apply to them. They're happy without them. Dating is inherently hard but the happier ones relatively have a hell of a lot easier time. Their morale and success is not nearly the same as the gloom and doom troop who are doing it to themselves

It wouldn't be a problem if misery didn't love company but those in perpetual dating misery seem to have a goal of spreading that on throughout

Also, since this post isn't about the word easy meaning in terms of effort meaning that this post has nothing to do with whether attracting men or women is easy, how easy it is to get sex, or whatever else. If you reply about how dating actually isn't easy because of looks, entitlement, Tinder, trust me we've heard it a billion times and it will be evident that you have not read a single thing because I can't stress further enough how much this post is not about that.