In this day and age, relationships are not the slightest bit uncommon. However, I personally feel as if the luckiest people are the ones who are fortunate enough to be dating someone who doubles as their best friend. After all, friendship is one of the most basic forms of human interaction that we can experience, and therefore it should only be natural to expect that all other types of relationships derive from it.
I'm not saying that this article is the result of some sort of an epiphany, because I was already well aware that my boyfriend and I had a very friend-esque relationship (mainly because we've been friends for much longer than we've been dating at this point). However, my eyes were particularly opened to many of the specifics behind this phenomenon when he came to visit and stay with me in my college dorm over Labor Day Weekend. Throughout the course of those 4 days, it was made even more clear to me that, before anything else, he and I are truly the definition of best friends.
If I'm not mistaken, I think that's a sufficient backstory for this one. Without further adieu, here are 10 surefire signs that you are probably dating your best friend:
1. You can sit in silence comfortably.
Especially after a few days of cohabitating in a dorm room, there's bound to be silence. That's right; You listen, and you hear nothing. Specifically, no words from the other person in the room. It's true: even the closest of partners can run out of things to talk about.
Horrifying, right?
Honestly, I beg to differ. If you ask me, there's something to be said for two people who can sit silently and not feel a single ounce of awkward energy. In general, silent moments signify a level of comfort that is strong enough to degrade the seemingly natural human urge to fill said silence at all costs. This speaks (no pun intended) to the idea that you are both comfortable enough to mutually embrace what many see as a void instead as a symbol of the deep connection that you share with one another.
2. Teasing each other, but all in good fun.
If there's one benefit to dating your best friend, it's the idea that each of you probably have a firm grasp on the other's sense of humor. My boyfriend and I tease each other and make sarcastic remarks all the time, and this playful dynamic is only made possible by the idea that we both know that we are doing just that: Teasing. Kidding. Joking around. If we didn't know each other so well, we'd probably be afraid of unleashing such comments out of the fear of inflicting insult. However, since we were so close prior to dating and therefore on the same page, this only adds a fun and humorous layer to our relationship.
3. Any and all conversations are acceptable.
Seriously. No conversational boundaries are present. With other people, you may feel as if you need to hold your tongue, but with a significant other that is your best friend, you can talk about anything and everything without batting an eye. Since all successful relationships tend to share the element of good communication, this idea is extremely important when it comes to the serious matters, but it also applies to anything that you may want or need to talk about. There's no need to pretend or impress when you're dating your best friend, so the lines of communication are completely and totally open, and quite frankly, it's amazing in every sense of the word.
4. You can be yourself when you're together.
No facades exist in a relationship with someone who doubles as your best friend. For me personally, I often have difficulty finding people that I truly feel that I can be myself around. I have many sides of me that are only unleashed when I am truly comfortable with someone, so the fact that my boyfriend gets the full package of my personality speaks volumes to the amount of comfort and trust that our relationship is built on. We can be goofy, serious, and anything in between with each other, signifying that there are no holds barred when it comes to the truth behind who we portray ourselves as when we are together.
5. Lots and lots of laughter.
If you can laugh together or even at each other when the time is right, chances are you are dating your best friend. It's no secret that a sign of a strong relationship is being on the same page when it comes to what's funny, and so downright silly moments are definitely positive. For example, when you both start hysterically laughing upon waking up because he has the most insane bed head that you've ever seen, it should be clear that this dynamic between the two of you is alive and well. (Don't worry about it, you had to be there.)
6. Communication without words.
You can finish each other's sentences, nearly read each other's minds, and silently look into each other's eyes to feel a million and one things. Personally, having never been in a relationship before, this is something I had never had the pleasure of experiencing. However, I quickly realized the true depth of our bond when things like this started to occur, and I am more than certain that it has at least something to do with the fact that we knew each other so well as friends before we started dating.
7. You send each other Clickhole articles on the regular.
Alright, this one is totally an inside joke if there ever was one. (Hey Andy!)
Anyway, if your relationship thrives off of the idea of sending each other Clickhole articles on an all-too-frequent basis, I am here to inform you that you just might be dating your best friend. Nothing says romance like getting each other to laugh via the means of well-written terrible humor and non-directional quizzes, am I right?
If you're anyone other than my boyfriend and can still relate to this one, then I bow to thee, and would also like to know just exactly what is going on in that crazy little head of yours.
And, on the other hand, if you haven't a clue what Clickhole is, look it up. You won't regret it.
8. Any time spent together is a good time.
I don't know about anyone else, but my boyfriend and I are totally notorious for lounging around and doing absolutely nothing special. He's probably the only person that I can lay on a couch and watch TV with for hours on end without feeling as if something is wrong, but I suppose this only means that we value each other's presence more than the setting in which we are spending time together. In other words, when you're dating your best friend, the element of trying to impress each other with fancy dates or constant event planning in an effort to heighten the chances of the relationship's success is blatantly non-existent. All you need for a good time is each other.
9. You know how to cheer each other up.
I must admit that even though I often like to pretend that I'm a tough girl whose emotions don't bother her, I have still gone through my fair share of ups and downs during this happy relationship. Although I can sometimes lose my way on account of various things, my boyfriend never fails to be super supportive during both my good and bad moments, and also knows how to cheer me up unlike anybody else. I'm speaking from my perspective only because he tends to be the rock in our relationship, but if it came down to it, I'm sure I would be pretty good at cheering him up, too (even though the guitars that would probably get the job done best would surely clear out my bank account before I could say boo.)
10. Goodbye means nothing more than "see you later."
Unfortunately, I lied when I said the initial back story that I provided was sufficient. Rather, I failed to mention that my boyfriend and I are currently dating over long distance while I'm in college (perhaps that's an article for another time). Although we've only had two real goodbyes so far, I can say with certainty that the process is one of the most emotional things that I have ever experienced. However, when you're dating someone who's like your best friend, you know that goodbye only means until next time. Sure, you may not be entirely certain about when that next time may be, but you have enough faith in one another and in your bond to know that you will pick up right where you left off. It's certainly not easy, but the friendship that the rest of your relationship is based off of provides extra strength to make it through. Emotions only mean that you care immensely, and after all, no one ever said that thing like this are easy.
