Getting to the 8th date with someone is an accomplishment and excitement is warranted.

Arriving this far means there is chemistry and you are enjoying each other’s company.

You are probably contemplating where you should be with this person in terms of a relationship 8 dates in.

Is this a point where the relationship needs to be more defined?

Should you be exclusive to each other?

Should you have met each other’s friends and family by now?

Should you be having sex, if you haven’t already?

These are viable questions.

But, in the end, the dynamics of every courtship is different.

Some courtships move at a break neck pace and get to an exclusive commitment before an 8th date is reached.

Some courtships lead to an introduction to family and friends in way less than 8 dates.

None of that matters in your courtship, as long as you are moving at a natural pace that works well within the dynamics of your relationship.

The communication has been consistent and detail-oriented.

The dates have been vibrant.

The body language has been receptive and inviting.

All these point to a healthy courtship.

That being said, it normally takes about 3 to 6 months to fall in love with someone.

Where a courtship that has now lasted 8 dates without commitment gets dangerous is when one party develops feelings much sooner than the other.

Assuming that you go on an average of one date a week, 8 dates is the equivalent of 2 months of dating.

This courtship is approaching the 3 month mark soon.

That is exciting in and of itself, but do be aware that either yours or the other person’s feelings are about to get deeper.

You don’t have to develop deeper feelings for each other at the exact same time, but the closer that time is, the better.

Is the person you are with showing signs of a deeper emotional investment?

You know this by how often they talk about the future with you or how much they talk about their loved ones and their excitement to introduce you to them.

This is how you know this person is thinking about the future with you in it and that their feelings are soon to deepen.

Do you do the same with this person?

A solidarity in this behavior means your courtship is headed in the right direction.

Where courtships that have lasted 8 dates without a commitment fail is when one party is developing feelings at a much faster pace than the other.

It reaches a point where the person is so emotionally invested, they force their will in pushing the relationship to commitment at a time the other isn’t prepared to, resulting in a collapse of the relationship.

As long as you get the sense you are on similar emotional trajectories, the excitement you currently feel about getting to an 8th date with this person is only going to get louder, as you enter the 3 to 6 month mark.

This is usually where feelings solidify and an exclusive commitment to each other is made.