Does dating sometimes feel repetitive and boring to you? Do you match with people, only to realize that you don’t have any enthusiasm to actually message them? Do you talk to people for a few weeks or months, only to get bored and move on?

If so, you may want to consider dating someone who isn’t your type. People often fall into the habit of only dating people who meet the criteria on their checklist, but this isn’t always a good thing. Sometimes what you actually need is very different to what you are pursuing (even if that feels counterproductive!).

Here are three reasons to consider dating someone who isn’t normally your type.

1. Reasons To Date Someone Who Isn’t Your Type: You Will Open Your Dating Life To New Possibilities

One reason to date someone who isn’t your type is that it will open your dating life up to new possibilities. For instance, if you normally date introverted people, dating an extrovert will come with lots of new dating possibilities (such as going to big public events, or being loud and silly in public). You might find that you prefer these new experiences, or you might find someone who has very similar values to you – you could even meet the love of your life!

2. You Will Grow As A Person

Dating outside of your type will also help you to grow as a person. New experiences are one of the main ways humans learn and evolve, so if you date similar people over and over again you probably won’t grow much as a person. So date someone a little different, and you may learn something new about yourself.

Sure, some of the new experiences may not be to your taste – but you have to be willing to step outside of your comfort zone if you want to grow.

3. You May Feel Better

We suggest dating people based on how they make you feel, rather than if they are your type or not. So when you start talking to someone new, don’t ask yourself if they meet your checklist; instead ask yourself how you feel when you are talking to them. Do you feel happy and content, or nervous and awkward? Do they make you laugh and smile? Remember that real happiness comes from how someone treats you, not how they look.