Unpopular Opinion: If You're Still in the Talking Stage After 6 Mos

Okay, hear me out.

I know everybody moves at their own pace, and every relationship is different—but I genuinely believe the “talking stage” should have an expiration date. In my opinion, six months is more than enough time to figure out whether you want to seriously pursue someone.

By that point, you’ve probably gone on dates, had late-night conversations, learned each other’s habits, met friends or family, and seen how they communicate through good days and bad. If you’re still saying, “We’re just talking,” after half a year… what are we doing?

Now, I’m not saying you have to be engaged in six months. I’m not even saying you have to be in love. But there should be some clarity. You should know whether you’re intentionally building toward a relationship or simply enjoying each other’s company with no real direction.

The longer the talking stage drags on, the easier it becomes for one person to get emotionally invested while the other enjoys all the benefits of a relationship without ever making a commitment. That’s where confusion, mixed signals, and hurt feelings tend to show up.

Of course, every situation is different. Long-distance relationships, major life events, or other circumstances can naturally change the timeline. But as a general rule, six months feels like a fair amount of time to decide whether someone is your person—or whether it’s time to let them go find someone who is.

I know some people will completely disagree, and that’s okay. That’s why it’s called an unpopular opinion.

But for me? If we’re still “seeing where it goes” after six months, I’m probably going to assume it’s already gone.