comment: >
  
  I actually don't think this is as unpopular as you might think. I think at least some people looking for a steamy romance are not necessarily thinking about a life partner, which is totally ok. In the context of looking for a life partner, this seems pretty common.
  That said, there are some cases where I'd strongly disagree. Dating allows you to filter people out who have definite life incompatibilities with you. Falling for your friends is great if your friend is compatible with you, but sometimes they're not. I've fallen in love with two close friends, neither who I ever would have gone on a date with (both of them fell for me back). In the end, the friendships turned toxic and fell apart because we wanted things from each other that we actually weren't willing to give, given what we wanted from life. I've honestly had much better luck falling in lust with someone, hanging out with them to see if we're baseline compatible, if not long term, and going from there. This isn't like a one-size-fits-all, but there are definite reasons to date strangers.
context: I met my wife in a bar. I was drunk as shit and my pickup line was "You're cute, wanna make out?"
  She said "hell no", but I talked to her again the next day when I was sober and we hit it off instantly. 
  I think the best relationships just don't involve the games, or one person chasing until the other finally settles and gives in. >
  
  Great story, but how were you able to talk to her again the next day? Or was she the bartender? >
  
  She was there drinking with her sister and added me on facebook later, and we also matched on Tinder the next day lol. She said she was impressed that I took her rejection well and didn't push it like most drunk guys in bars do. I think I apologized at the time too for being so forward, as it's not something I normally do/did. We were dating and basically living together 2 weeks later. >
  
  Oh wow it almost seems like you guys were meant to be together with everything falling into place like that lol. That’s amazing it worked out though and I wish you two the best of luck! >
  
  I was good friends with my husband for about 8 years before we started dating. I think we both just needed to grow up a bit. But when we told our friend group we started dating the general reactions was "about time!" So I guess it was obvious to everyone but us lol. >
  
  Me and my first wife were like rhat >
  
  Then what happened? >
  
  She enjoyed her co worker and dentist's penises, and when I voiced my discontent, she decided she was gonna become an actor and moved to Hollywood. The dentist so, "completely unconnected", moved too >
  
  Shit I'm sorry. >
  
  Ahh it's fine, we're both on spouse #3 now, the dentist lost her too, and she never got an acting role. Meanwhile I got 2 beautiful children, a lifetime of happiness, and got to ruin my second marriage all on my own >
  
  Congrats, I love happy endings!! >
  
  Hell yeah brother >
  
  You’re only saying that because it’s not real >
  
  What isn't real? My two divorces? >
  
  This is at least plausible. I agree that the strongest romantic relationships contain an element of robust friendship, but I'm not sure that you need to START like this first. It's possible to develop romance and friendship concurrently. >
  
  
  It's possible to develop romance and friendship concurrently.
  
  I really think this is what happened between my wife and I.  We met online gaming in 2000.  That doesn't sound revolutinary by today's standards but then it was.  We talked more and more and it just kind of developed that we were friends, then it moved to RL and not just games.  We became best friends and lovers all at the same time.  Been together ever since. >
  
  
  We met online gaming in 2000. Been together ever since.
  
  Don't give redditors too much hope..
  jk congrats! >
  
  LOL. It was a text based online trivia game. No photos no voice. Just text. You really get to know someone that way. No distractions. >
  
  What game? >
  
  Pyroto Mountain >
  
  Totally agree, I was friends with my wife for 2 years before we began dating. We will be having our 15th wedding anniversary in a couple weeks. >
  
  Congratulations! Yay for best friends!! >
  
  I sorta disagree, from personal experience.
  When I dated someone who I'd been friends with for years, it didn't turn out well. Yeah sure, I knew the bad and good things about them. But that's a double edged sword, because they figured that I would 'be okay with' the same things now that we were in a relationship. There was nothing new for me to learn about him and no bonding experiences that could help us know each other deeper/better, because we already knew each other incredibly well. He wouldn't shut up about his ex before or during our relationship. I gave him an ultimatum and he only continued. I broke up with him and then became an ex he won't shut up about. 
  However, when I met my current long distance partner, we only knew each other a month before getting together, as there was relatively quick mutual attraction. Our relationship is now 5 years strong and learning new things about them is/has been a bonding experience that I didn't have with the aforementioned ex of mine.
  So, I think this isn't true in all cases. >
  
  Yup, I dated a close friend. Together for years only for him to cheat on me.
  I'm now engaged to someone I met on Bumble, I have a deeper connection with him and he respects me a hell of a lot more than my ex did when I think about it. >
  
  Then you get told "I wish I met someone like you." >
  
  They make for the most difficult breakups, >
  
  Agreeable. I wouldnt say "The strongest romantic relationships" HAVE to start that way, but the ones that do tend to be strong romantic relationships. >
  
  Sometimes. A better phrase would be that the strongest romantic relationships are also the strongest friendships.
  Also The honeymoon phase is all relationships. Friendships and lovers. It tends to stop in all relationship when kids get involved 😬 >
  
  Eh, I agree with OP and think it's unpopular because the number of people who meet this way is plummeting, so the acknowledgement makes those people feel insecure.
  Of course you can start a relationship romantically and have it remain successful indefinitely as long as you also build friendship along the way. But there are two key areas this method can never truly replicate:
  
  
  Having your respect for someone develop 100% independently of your attraction to them. I know a fair number of couples that can't seem to untangle respect and attraction. So when their partner falls in attractiveness it also lowers their overall respect for them. Sometimes that tracks... But sometimes it doesn't (for example, after kids when both people are too tired muster much attraction). Eventually, it leads to problems.
  
  
  Accountability. When you meet through and share a community, there are repercussions for acting a fool. When your only connection to each other is your relationship, there is less incentive to remain civil because you won't be judged/punished by 3rd parties if you don't.
  
  
  If you look at the complaints that GenZ and younger Millennials have about dating, a lot them can be summed up as "I'm being treated like a commodity, not like a person." Having mutual social ties prevents a lot of that.
  I 100% agree with you about the Honeymoon phase though. After 3 years of being close friends, I started dating my now fiance. Strongest Honeymoon phase I've ever experienced, and also the longest - it's yet to end two years in (and we won't be having kids, so maybe it never will). >
  
  If you meet somebody you’re attracted to, there is no reason you can’t build your romantic relationship along with your friendship. This is typically what i did in all of my relationships. If we couldn’t connect on a more in depth way than attraction, the relationship didn’t last long enough to even call it a relationship. 
  A romantic relationship isn’t different than any other except romantic ones tend to involve people feeling more intimate with each other. But it’s the same as if you meet somebody you could never be attracted to. You get to know them. It’s all just regular relationship stuff. If you get into a relationship and don’t bond with that person, friendship or romantic or even family, it doesn’t matter. It’s going to be a fail >
  
  People struggle with dating because of these types of opinions. There is no one way to develop a good relationship, there are many. And one way that works for some people can be the exact reason it fails for others. It depends on everyone involved. >
  
  Wish I could upvote this more. Just because one way works for one couple, does not mean it works that way for others. >
  
  I’m in a 5 year relationship with someone who I was friends with. I knew him for like ten years now. I do disagree tho, we definitely had a honeymoon phase >
  
  I don’t know… lots of women seem to get upset, if they are asked out by their friends >
  
  As a woman, I believe it's because  it comes off as if you were trying to get into a romantic relationship under the guise of a friendship, which can seem deceptive to some. >
  
  I know
  But what if it was a genuine friendship at first and they still try to shoot their shot later? >
  
  Oh that's different if the friendship is genuine and they happen to develop feelings, then fine,cool.Obviously that's different from pretending. 
  Also if both parties happen to have mutual feelings, while initially just starting out as friends,fine.
  Of course outliers can happen. >
  
  How would someone know, that he wasn’t pretending? >
  
  Honestly? It depends on how you accept the rejection. I’ve lost too many male friends because they started a friendship under the assumption that it would turn into something more. >
  
  I somewhat agree, but not everyone is lucky enough to have or can stay in social circles where you find your s/o.