Women are often taught to give people the benefit of the doubt, especially in dating—but that mindset can cost you time, energy, and emotional peace. When someone is inconsistent, distant, or showing signs that they’re not all in, it’s time to stop making excuses. Pay attention to how they show up and trust yourself to walk away if things aren’t moving in the direction you want. Read on for more!

Dating can stir up all kinds of “what if” questions—What if the age gap becomes a problem? What if I never fit into his life with his kids? What if he starts drinking again?

The truth is: you don’t know, and you can’t know. Relationships don’t come with guarantees. Read on to learn how to stop overanalyzing the future and start making empowered dating decisions right now.

Spending hours on the phone before meeting someone might feel like a great way to build a connection—but in reality, you’re just creating an illusion of intimacy. You don’t know this person yet, and long conversations can lead to filling in the gaps with who you want them to be. Here’s what to do instead.

When dating, it’s easy to fill in the gaps with who you want someone to be instead of seeing them for who they actually are. You ask a few questions, hear what you like, and suddenly your mind starts building a whole story about them. But here’s the truth: you can’t know who someone truly is until they show you. Here’s what to do instead.

Dating can feel like a gamble, and it’s tempting to look for ways to guarantee a good outcome. But here’s the truth—there’s no insurance for dating. No amount of checklists, social media polls, or background details will predict whether someone is a great match. Some things you just can’t know until you know them. The real key? Trusting yourself to recognize what works, what doesn’t, and adjusting as you go.