On Sunday, I went on a date — except no one called it that. And the confusion that followed captures everything wrong with dating in my generation.
After talking to a guy for some time, I bluntly suggested the possibility of dating. At his request, we met up at a nice dinner place to “chat” about this. He paid for my meal and, after 15 minutes of small talk, said, “I like spending time with you, and you’re obviously pretty, but I don’t know why we have to date.”
Recommended Stories
Clearly, I must lack some common sense. How could I have thought that this “chat,” or the past five, would lead to anything more than a friendship?
I’m not the only girl in my generation to miscalculate a male friendship. It seems like more and more young men lack the initiative to ask a woman out on a date, despite having the capability to do everything but call it that.
This points to a broader and more significant problem: indecisiveness. Whether it’s answering the “what are we?” question or picking a place to eat, many Gen Zers would rather remain in the murky middle ground of uncertainty than brave the dangers of decision-making.
And honestly, it’s childish.
Pop star icon Olivia Rodrigo said it best in her latest album: “Indecisiveness is painfully unattractive.” And she’s right, because commitment can’t be built on such a lack of initiative.
Some of this indecision is downstream of cancel culture.
The fear of being “politically incorrect” has never gained more traction in our society than after the birth of social media. Because now, a crude joke is always just one catchy clickbait away from getting someone permanently canceled. So in response, Generation Z has reverted to an annoying and primitive nature of neediness — the inability to make decisions and have convictions.
Political values, relationship ideals, and dinner preferences must have gained intense complexity in the past 50 years, because a person’s indecision on all these fronts is widely accepted. Our generation would rather adjust to social narratives than take a stance that could cause them to be perceived differently. This is evident as more of Gen Z is starting to identify as bisexual. It’s apparently more appealing to celebrate two weeks out of pride month than stray from political relevance.
Indecision makes a relationship, or even a friendship, increasingly unsustainable. Everyone knows how hard it is to make plans with a friend who somehow has no preference but doesn’t like anything that’s picked. This is because maintaining a connection with someone who can’t make up their mind on something as simple as “pasta or pizza” is more of a burden than a privilege.
WHY SITUATIONSHIPS ARE SURGING AND WHY THEY MUST STOP
To combat this culture of indecision, Gen Z should rediscover initiative. Think about how Cameron, from the classic film 10 Things I Hate About You, had the courage to ask Bianca out despite how much she intimidated him. Having strong convictions and the confidence to defend them is vital to the enrichment of our society. Gen Z men should be bold and ask women out on formal dates because it signals a kind of character that is being drained by pop culture propaganda. Without replacing indecision in our generation with initiative, we cannot dream of a better future to come.
So the next time your friend asks you what your dinner preferences are, don’t say “You pick. I’m indecisive.” Spare everyone the unnecessary back-and-forth and just decide.
