Ultimately, of course, the deterioration of morals in society should be blamed. However, the occasion for possible failures in this regard can be minimized by postponing going steady until after college. Before anything else, it is important to define our terms, given the different stages of the man-woman relationship prior to marriage. It starts when the possibility of a future marriage is first entertained, and therefore marks a certain degree of exclusivity. Informal engagement, which follows the moment when a man explicitly proposes marriage to a woman and at least an approximate time frame for such is agreed upon privately between them.
Most young people go steady for the wrong reason.
One loves deliberately. Either that or one surrenders oneself to one's feelings. Unfortunately, love has been confused with feelings or affections. These latter are reactions to sensible good that can indeed precede, accompany or follow love, but they are not love. Only the intellect can really judge the overall aptness of a person for conjugal love.