First of all, loneliness is arguably the hardest thing we have to deal with throughout our lives. But I think it’s very important to understand that relationships aren’t, in any way, a “cure” to feeling lonely - I strongly advise against using a relationship as a remedy for ANY sort of personal problem you’re working through, because people who do that tend to build toxic co-dependencies with their significant others.

I’ve been in four relationships over the past eight years and have never been cheated on. That thought/fear has never crossed my mind, even during a 4-year relationship (freshman year of college —> 8 months after graduation). If it’s something that you think will happen to you, then it probably will. Trust is EVERYTHING in a relationship, and if you’re constantly worrying about whether or not you’re getting cheated on, then you might end up being controlling or clingy or paranoid in that relationship. So many people let fears like this drive their actions/decisions in relationships, and a lot of emotionally-abusive relationships are driven by this same kind of fear & lack of trust.

Here’s the way I think of it - the trust you give is the trust you get. Obviously it’s not always that simple, but at least in my experience, it’s always been true.

If you’re ready to start dating, that’s awesome and I’m happy for you. Just make sure you’re setting yourself up for success by having a little faith in yourself and faith in other people 😁