I_am_Kira wrote:
Since this is a thread and you seem to be seeking advice, then I shall offer my imput. I'm far from an expert on dating, but here's my thought: most men, especially NT (though perhaps some AS too, not really sure) are hungry for sex. Perhaps I am demeaning my own gender, but I've seen it many times. Men pretend to love women long enough to get sex, and then dump them for someone else after they get what they want. I've know guys that will wait about a year to get in bed with someone, do the deed, and then find someone else when they're done. If they don't want to wait that long, then they'll either deem you not worth it and dump you earlier, or they'll deceive you and cheat on you while they wait for you, and THEN leave you. Which is the second is probably the worse of the two by far. So, my advice. I will admit it's biased. If a man will not keep his sexual desires under control until he marries you, than it's much more likely that he'll leave you. Men consider waiting for sex a sacrifice and men will sacrifice for someone they genuienely love, and someone who genuienely loves you is a lot less likely to leave you lonely. Of course, there is the 50% that he could divorce you anyway, but even that's higher than if he were not married to you in the first place. As I said, I am biased in this matter because I'm a hard-core, pro-abstinancy Catholic, but regardless of what you believe, I'd hate for you to get hurt and/or disappointed. Then again, it all comes down to what you want. Do you want a life partner, or would you rather 'play the field' (which I would not reccommend, but I'm biased)? Do you want sex (satisfaction of a physical desire) or to make love (satisfaction of physical, emotional, and spiritual desires? I offered you my advice. I leave the rest up to you. Good luck.
While I respect those values, if they aren't hers, then it becomes a false sell in the relationship. I found her reasoning and criteria to be quite acceptable and sound, and if she follows that she is more likely to find someone who shares her life goals on more levels than just this one.
There is no way to eliminate the possibility of getting hurt or of getting used. If you wait too long to enter the physical phase of a relationship, some men will read it as sexual incompatibility and dump you for that reason. Really, THE best thing to do is to stay true to one's own values throughout the dating process, to let that be your rock, to let knowing that you've been true to yourself carry you through all the inevitable break ups and hurts.
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Mom to an amazing young adult AS son, plus an also amazing non-AS daughter. Most likely part of the "Broader Autism Phenotype" (some traits).