[dancingdoc2]

This is the purpose of dating.

Dating should not begin and end with the first warm body who expresses an interest in us.

Dating is about learning and learning from a lot of different people in order to decide what characteristics, likes, dislikes, values, morals, goals, personalities, people have so that when Mr./Ms. Right does come along we will be better prepared to recognize him or her--and then know what we want in a person.

This is different from the first scenario and then learning months into a relationship, perhaps becoming engaged, that s/he is not the one for me, or, as you are suggesting she might do, to sample someone else just to make certain. Bad idea, that.

If one or the other of you are not absolutely positively certain your partner is right for you, then you should return to dating, not sidestepping the existing relationship. If or when you return to dating, then you can continue to date this current love interest or not.

> I told this to her and then suggested that she hook up with someone so as to avoid any regrets later in life and any resent towards me. bad idea?

This is putting the cart before the horse. The two of you and all others with whom the two of you meet should have been dating properly, all before the two of you met; then, there would be no need to endanger the relationship or perhaps even end it because she found someone else. Of course, I suppose ending things now is better than being married with two kids and heading for divorce court in a few years.

Regrets? The two of you should read the article on differences in levels of experience listed in the Index as food for thought.

I hope this is of help. Got questions?