One of the biggest cultural movements of the past few years has been the nebulous phrase of ‘self-care’. Many of us have been consistently encouraged to be mindful of our own needs, find time to relax, and most importantly, protect our peace.

While it’s a good thing to have some increased awareness of our mental health, not all of the popular messages of the self-care initiative are helpful ones. For example, the underlying assumption that we can only find true satisfaction if we isolate ourselves is pretty against human nature. 

This is especially true in the ever-controversial arena of dating: if you are a single person who wants a serious romantic partner someday, it doesn’t always help to wait until you feel mature to go out and play the field. It’s a topic that has recently been discussed in a recent Twitter thread, in which it was claimed that waiting until you’re older to date doesn’t necessarily protect you from making the same mistakes as a younger person. When it comes to love, gaming the system doesn’t exist.