Rules of Engagement

Is the saying “all is fair in love and war” true?

In the military, rules of engagement are defined as a directive issued by a military authority specifying the circumstances and limitations under which forces will engage in combat with the enemy. The Business Dictionary defines the term as “practices followed or behavior displayed by the participants (players) in situations of opposing interests (conflicts) such as negotiations.

I’ve noticed that there seem to be unwritten rules of engagement when it comes to dating so I thought I would write them. Then again, I have also heard that all is fair in love and war so does that mean there are no rules? Are potential mates and prospective dates the enemy? Is mating a form of combat? Under the business definition, we could say we are “players”, but I don’t think we have opposing interests. Actually, I think we are all interested in the same things such as forging connections of some sort whether they are emotional, intellectual, sexual or social.

So if we are all interested in the same things, why can’t we just clearly say what we want from people and expect to receive it? Why is it such a game? They want what we want so why don’t we just meet in the middle for an even exchange?

Instead, we play hard to get, don’t seem too eager or desperate, hide how we…