When on a first date, it can be blatantly clear less than five minutes into it that a second date is not in the cards.
Sometimes, however, it can also seem like you might have met the true love of your life, and you immediately start planning the wedding and everything that comes after.
Unfortunately, more often than not, life has other plans, and everything you dreamed up might very well come crashing down right in front of you.
Turning what you thought would be a lifelong relationship into one that was... a bit less long.
Redditor photo_inbloom was curious to hear about the shortest-lasting relationships people have ever had and what was responsible for their brief lifespan, leading them to ask:
"How long was your shortest relationship and why did you break up?"
An Open Marriage... Just Don't Tell Her Spouse...
"About 3 hours.
"I found out she was married."- GrimeyScorpioDuffman
Childhood Sweethearts
"3 days."
"I was in 4th grade, and my girlfriend kicked me in the shin every time I wouldn't hold her hand."
"Finally, my parents complained to the principal after seeing all my bruises, lol."
"Alas, it was never meant to be."- Crunchy_umami
The Dangers Of Petty Threats
"A month."
"The person went through my phone while I was in the shower one night."
"Would get really mad that I questioned her on it."
"Tried to make going through my phone sound like it was a good thing."
"Then got mad at me for wishing her happy birthday too late in the day on a busy work day."
"Then told me she's going to break up, and I agreed with her happily."
"Turned out she didn't want to and was just threatening to, but I was already done with it by then lol."- exoventure
Didnt Mean It Call The Midwife GIF by PBSGiphy
Some Would Say This Is The Best Kind Of Long Term Relationship
"Two weeks."
"We rebounded with each other and quickly realized our friendship was very much just friendship and dating was weird."
"We're still very close friends 14 years later!"- Floral-Ballerina
No One Said We Were Monogamous
"15 minutes."
"I was in kindergarten, and he was already holding another girl's hand after I got gum."- MyDadsMistake_
One Too Many Thrills
"3 months."
"She was an adrenaline junkie."
"Skydiving, base jumping, playing with fire, dirt bikes."
"We got along well and had genuine affection for one another, but I just felt like I couldn't keep up with her and she didn't want to let up on the frequency of her death-defying so she broke up with me, but it was a nice and pleasant break-up that didn't really weigh on me too much."- libroian
happy daredevil GIF by Guava JuiceGiphy
Taking Consent To A Whole New Level...
"A couple of weeks."
"She asked me permission to go shopping with a friend, which I thought was ridiculous."
"I laughed and told her I wasn't her dad and she didn't need to ask permission for anything."
"She stopped talking to me after that."- Aromatic-Garlic
Neoay Rangesay Easonray
"In high school, I dated someone for like six weeks."
"She says she broke up with me because my friends and I spoke pig Latin."
"I thought that was hilarious."
"All these years later - still do."- ryandmc609
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Three's A Crowd
"Two weeks."
"He didn’t like the way my dog barked."- FunnyxSungril
Was Always Going To Be A Problem...
"About a month."
"He mentioned to me he didn't care much for sex but wasn't asexual bc he still had some drive."
"I have a fairly high drive, so I got a little worried about it, but I didn't wanna just give up."
"After we did have sex, he said something about 'just waiting for it to be over with'."
"It crushed me."
"I ended up splitting with him after that."- SomePumpkin6850
Katie And Hubbell Can Relate...
"2 months or so."
"We both were completely in love with each other."
"But we had some major differences regarding our beliefs."
"We both wept as we were breaking up."- isuckatfishin
Robert Redford GIFGiphy
Oh, Mom...
"4 days, apparently my mom told her off for taking advantage of me."- HeartonSleeve1989
Woman's Best Friend
"1/2 a date."
"We were seated at the restaurant, chose our meals and I excused myself to go to the restroom."
"Upon returning we started talking."
"You know, all the small talk."
"At one point he mentioned that he knew I had a dog."
"My dog was a big boy, about 115 pounds."
"I said yes, he’s a rescue and a very nice dog."
"He sort of frowned and said, 'well I have a cat and if we end up together the dog has to go'.”
"Huh?"
"I wasn’t sure I had heard correctly, after all this was a first date."
"Then the waiter showed up with our food."
"He set a lobster in front of me."
"I looked at the waiter and said, 'Oh, I’m sorry but there has been a mistake: I ordered chicken'.”
"My date, 'no mistake, I’m not cheap; I changed your order'.”
"Me: 'I don’t like lobster'.”
"Him: 'just be grateful and eat it'.”
"I didn’t say another word, just picked up my purse and walked out."
"Wait I take it back."
"That was the second shortest."
"My date arrived at my front door."
"My dog absolutely refused to allow this man through the front door."
"I had never seen him so determined to keep someone away from me."
"I trusted his instincts and told the guy, 'My dog doesn’t like you and he’s a good judge of character, so the date’s off'.”
"This man, screamed at me calling me all sorts of names, stomped down my front steps, screeched out of my drive and drove away."
"I gave the dog a steak for dinner."- RudeCryptographer992
In the Heat Of The Moment...
"She was beautiful. 5' 7'' (perfect as I'm tall), single, long blonde hair, tiny gap between front teeth (which I find really sexy)."
"We had known each other for about six months, had dinner, drinks, sat in her car for hours chatting."
"One evening, we're on my sofa and started kissing."
"Spent the next I dunno... hour and a half or so, just kissing."
"'I'm in love with you,' she said."
"I replied that I, too, was in love with her."
"Next morning, I got a text. 'I made a mistake'."
"Just one more 'kick in the nuts' that has made the utterly broken man that I am now."- JohnCharles-2024
I Take It Back Pop Tv GIF by Schitt's CreekGiphy
Some relationships simply aren't meant to be.
If this is the case, perhaps better to get it over with earlier rather than later.
Even so, does a single date really constitute a relationship?