Quote Originally Posted by Pheehelm View Post
Falling in love then going out is a reverse of the usual pattern as I understand it. (I don't know if I'd call that weird either, but it does seem atypical.) If you think of my questions in the context of "ask out then fall in love" it makes more sense -- note that nowhere in my post did I ask people who've loved and lost why they're trying again. It makes sense keep trying once you know what it's like. I'm asking about those to whom the in-love experience is/was purely academic (and, ideally, haven't/hadn't met anyone they're really interested in yet).
I kind of understand what you're saying here. As I mentioned in a previous post, I fell in love with my girlfriend only after we started going out. (Note I don't even say that's the right way to go about things, but hey, it sometimes happens.)

You might not have a "checklist", as Castaras says, but when you find someone you could potentially care to be with, it's reasonable to try the relationship and see where it leads.

Once you're in love, however, I'm betting you'll know it. And do everything in your power to be with that person.