Authentic assessments

In education, you'll hear a lot of talk about "authentic assessments" or "authentic projects". The idea is that it doesn't make sense to teach in a vacuum - like multiplication drills. You want to teach with context, something that is meaningful (hence, authentic). I've found that I learn best when I am using the information I'm learning in some meaningful way (e.g learning about programming by trying to write a program that will be useful to me). Then, when you test something, you don't want to just test 2x2=?, you want to text if the student can apply that concept in a real-world situation ("authentic assessment"), so you might set up a problem that requires the student demonstrate an understanding of the concept of multiplication.

Anyway, I'm bringing this up because I don't think dating is very authentic, at least not in the beginning. It's like a fishbowl. You set up as carefully as possible the activity, and throughout the activity, you are not at ease because you're trying hard to make a good impression. (I know some of you are going to be like, "Just be yourself!", but that's easier said than done, when you don't know someone and you don't want them to take one of your idiosyncrasies and paint you as weird) You don't want to scare someone off before you've had a chance to get to know each other.

The best friendships I have now have been cultivated slowly, over many years, through authentic activities - no pretenses. Through Monday-Friday night cards, through after school activities, sports, student groups, living in the same hall, just hanging out. Some have taken years before I would consider them an "A-friend" as Eddy puts it.

So even though you're supposed to "just be yourself", dating can only be but a game in the beginning. Don't you think?