In this on-demand course Polly Young-Eisendrath gives personal and practical dating advice.
Polly Young-Eisendrath is the author of several books on relationships. In this course, she discusses the challenges of the current dating scene as well as the beginning stages of an intimate relationship. In four classes she shares what she considers good dating practices.
We will learn that dating a stranger through, for example, a dating app is different from dating someone we know. Polly explains how dating apps are based on projection, they are set up for fantasies and expectations. We know just a little about the other, and then we meet up. Often this results in disappointment. As a kind of preparation we can develop awareness that dating a stranger is a ‘bizarre’ activity that requires the management of our expectations. Polly Young-Eisendrath will offer some practical advice for those first few dates.
Once we’ve selected a potential partner, we might fall in love. Although this phase often starts off with feeling this is the love of our life , disillusionment is inevitable. There is no way around that. Polly Young Eisendrath argues that if we stay together, and work our way through the disillusionment, we may come out with a deep experience of intimacy and true love.
To work our way through the disillusionment stage, we will have to engage in a real dialogue with each other. Real Dialogue includes skills that help you deal with disillusionment and conflicts in relationships. When we develop these skills we have a much better chance of growing a deep, loving bond with a potential partner.
Course Overview:
Class 1. Dating a stranger or dating someone you know
In this class Polly Young-Eisendrath talks about the differences in dating someone you know and dating a stranger with the use of a dating app
Class 2. Going through the challenges of dating
In this class the role of earlier failed relationships is discussed. We might have reasons why we imagine that we shouldn’t trust again, because we’ve been hurt before. Polly Young-Eisendrath also discusses some of these challenges of dating and why it is beneficial to take on the challenges.
Class 3. Falling in Love and Disillusionment
Disillusionment will happen. The question that arises is how we deal with that. How do we know when to continue dating a person or to let them go? What is a good time to really commit to another?
Class 4. Conflict skills, Real Dialogue and True Love
The topic of this last class is conflict. You need some kind of container to address conflict well. Conflict can actually lead to closeness, provided you have the skills to deal with it. Polly Young-Eisendrath talks about real dialogue and how this contributes to a loving relationship.