Girls all over the internet are offering relationship advice based on the enigmatic "Rule of Three." When seeking a long-term relationship or a one-time fling, it's been said that the 3-Day Rule can help you avoid unnecessary heartbreak.
To begin, the 3-Day Rule dictates that you refrain from texting, calling, or messaging your potential partner for three days in order to see if they will initiate contact with you.
Some people find the reality that no one can read their minds frustrating when dating someone new. There's always the possibility that this person could be the one, but the "what- if's" continue to loom large.
Take a step back and consider what's going on when your positive dreams begin to cloud your mind. Don't assume that everything you're doing and feeling is reciprocated between the "what ifs" of the positive and the negative.
In order to successfully implement the 3-Day Rule in a modern society that heavily relies on smartphones or messaging apps, patience, trust, and hope are required. Go three days without texting after the good morning/night texts and emojis.
Yes, you'll have to wait three days for your potential mate to get in touch with you first. Do whatever it takes to avoid clinging to the person you're interested in for three days, whether it's going out with your best friends or settling in with some ice cream and Netflix.
Three-Day Rule Explained
No matter when you begin the Day-One Clock, the goal is to avoid appearing overly eager or desperate. The three-day Rule can be used on any day of the week.
Texting or DMing someone for an extended period of time can be seen as a symptom of a lack of self-control, or it could just be a normal chat. Everybody has a different idea of what it means.
When did the timer start? Is there a single solution? Before text, the movie Swingers succinctly summarized what the pre-text era had to say: nobody knows, it could only be a two-day rule, and for some people, it's an ingrained societal standard instead of what it was meant to be. In other words, don't take this guideline as gospel, but as a way of showing them that you're not smothering them with your presence or moving too quickly.
The world isn't going to end if you miss the three-day guideline timing by an hour or two or even an afternoon. Even while boundaries are crucial, someone who is an ultimate rule-breaker may not be worth following. Is there any other place where they are so rigid and unbending?
There is no three-day rule in online dating
The three-day rule doesn't apply to online dating more than anywhere else. There are a number of dating apps that restrict access to potential matches if one of you delays more than a day to react. It doesn't matter if you're using an app that restricts your communication to three days or not; there are still some aspects of online dating that are based on the three-day Rule.
First, if you have the opportunity to say hello online, take it. Obviously, this does not imply that you should abandon your shopping basket midway through the produce aisle. A polite, engrossing paragraph or less is all that is required of you to respond.
In between "hi" and "I'm interested in your story." Waiting three days after that communication is the equivalent of an in-person introduction, and it makes you appear uninterested. By the time you reach the third day, they'll have unmatched you.
Here's a quick rundown of how a dating app's flow should go: The introduction. Once you've had some time to get to know each other, there should be a little conversation in which you tell each other a little about yourself and flirt a little.
A respectful closure to the talk is ideal (you both have lives outside of dating, after all). This is the time when one or both of you should be ready to hand over your personal information. Your phone number is a great way to close out the first or second conversation (or accept theirs).
The three-day Rule: is it still relevant in the texting and video calling age?
Don't be afraid to follow their lead when it comes to texting. Leave it alone if they don't react. It's possible they'll wait a few days before answering if they follow the "three-day rule."
Many times they're not being inauthentic; they're simply pursuing what they believe is the best course of action or establishing boundaries and expectations early on. If you push it too hard, you may close a door that was actually open.
This also applies to the actual dialogue. If one of you is more engaged in the conversation than the other, it indicates that they're either too busy or not interested in the subject.
What are the possible exceptions to the three-day rule?
According to the three-day rule, there are a few uncommon exceptions to the norm. The guideline can, and should, be ignored if the two of you have discussed attending an event that takes place inside that three-day timeframe.
It's more important to demonstrate to someone you're interested in that you have a solid sense of limits than it is to set a time limit. Text as soon as you're comfortable with the situation.
Unsure of your next steps in the dating world? Book a session today to get the most out of your dates!
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