Some things in life can’t be avoided, like defining a relationship’s status. It’s happened to the best of us; you’ve been having so much fun dating and getting to know someone, but you are not really sure where things lie.
If that’s your case, here we’ll help you understand the terms of both situationships and friends with benefits so you can decide for yourself.
What is a Situationship?
This term has become increasingly popular nowadays, and let’s be honest, this can mean many different things depending on who you are asking.
When it comes to situationships, the general consensus seems to be that a situationship is a situation, excuse the redundancy, that’s pretty complicated and hard to define. This is a situation that’s bound to change depending on the wants and needs of the parties involved, and the whole point of it is to avoid defining anything at all.
Signs you are in a Situationship
Some of the signs are changing terms, having constant disagreements about the definition of the relationship, having a partner that avoids putting a name to what you have or even refuses to do it, and having more people involved that add stress to the relationship.
Pros and Cons of Situationships
Just like with everything else, there are positive and negative aspects to this kind of relationship. This might be the way to go if you enjoy and demand much freedom from people, like to see where things go without external pressure, or have little time for a compromised, stable relationship.
If you need stability, order, control, and long-term commitment, we would not recommend getting into these kinds of dynamics.
What are Friends with Benefits?
This is a term that has been around for decades, and we can bet that even your grandparents know what it means.
This is an easier-to-define kind of relationship, as it usually starts with two friends who develop a physical attraction to each other. This tends to end in an agreement to enjoy intimacy without any strings attached.
It can be hard to balance friendship with sex, but if you can achieve it, the result is a two-in-one relationship that combines the closeness of a friend with a fun and free-of-commitment sexual life.
Signs you are in a Friends with Benefits Relationship
Some signs are having started out as friends before having regular non-committed sex, an agreement to keep the nature of the relationship quiet, and maybe even having the right to see other people in the meantime.
Pros and Cons of Friend with Benefits
This can be a very fulfilling type of relationship for people who, again, don’t enjoy having sex with strings attached, like to know people a little better before getting into bed with them but don’t want to spend time dating, or have little time and want to mix their social and sexual life.
If you don’t like mixing your romantic life with your social life, we don’t think this option best suits you.
FWB vs. Situationships: Differences and Similarities
Even after the explanation, these two concepts may still seem very similar to you, and we get it. So keep reading to find out in which things differ and coincide.
Differences
The main difference here lies in the actual messiness of things. Situationships get messy as terms are not exacted at any given time. For FWB relationships, there are usually a few rules that have been put in place due to the older nature of the situation. However, situationships are newer and fresher, and there are still very different opinions about what it really means.
Similarities
The main similarity these two types of relationships share is the lack of commitment. They both imply very little effort and the understanding that they are only there to have a good time for as long as it happens. There are no expectations, or at least there shouldn’t be, as they are only enjoying the perks of responsibility-free sex.
Which one is right for you?
At the end of the day, it always comes down to what is best for you and you only. So, having read and understood what these relationships mean, think long and hard about what you really want and desire for your sex and romantic life. Don’t get hung up on labels; explore the terms that best suit you. It’s your time to choose!
