I understand that care or precaution should always be used to protect a marriage and extraordinary precaution is needed once a line has crossed. Precaution includes no close friendship with the opposite sex, no one on one time together, etc. Should a different standard be used for a couple who are dating but not married? So, here are my questions to you:

1) Do you think it’s okay to date someone who’s already dating someone else? Is it fair game before marriage?
2) Do you think it’s okay to form a close friendship with someone who’s dating someone else?
3) Do you think certain lines that are not okay to cross with a married person, but is fine to cross with someone who’s single but dating someone else such as maybe going out for lunch or dinner?

If you’re curious, this is not a situation that I am currently in. I am just curious to see what you all think.

1. are you BA?

2. I wouldn't know about dating because I am married and have been for a 100 years.

???


So, do you think it's okay for your grand kids to do it?

IMO it really depends on what you term 'dating'. If they are casually dating someone and it's not serious (and BOTH parties are aware of this), then I don't see why not. However, if they are in a long term relationship or a serious relationship, it's pretty much the same as marriage. You shouldn't date them, you shouldn't form a close friendship with them (if they are of the opposite sex or same sex if that's what you lean toward), and you shouldn't be going out for lunch or dinner with that person. There are definite boundaries.

TrustDoe - I don't think I will trust you anymore.

You have a lot of questions, but you don't stick to one before jumping to a new thread and new questions, all "just hypothetical."

Not worth the investment of time anymore.

It really does depend on what a person means by dating. I use "have dates" with men I'm not serious about. I "date" a man who I am serious about. I forget what the grammatical term is for the verb "To Be" combined with an -ing. But, that implies committment to me. "I'm dating M."

However, I also think you need to define "close friendship." I have male friends from work. I've gone out for lunch with these guys as a group, and sometimes, rarely as individuals. I also email and touch base with them. My fiance knows about them, has met all but one. And none of us every cross the line. I don't think it really has occurred to any of them to cross the line into an intimate friendship.

Also, I think the burden of defining boundaries lies on the person who is dating, not on the other single person who is not dating. This is different from marriage where there is a very clear line and relationship.