Courtesy of Liquid Library

American women are often considered lucky to live in a society that allows them to be equal to men. Women can vote, own property and have careers.

But in the dating world, it’s rare to see a woman approach a man, ask for his number or even take him out on a date. Many girls still want to be old-fashioned when it comes to dating, but that might be changing as men and women continue to become more equal.

There are all kinds of rules and criteria that people have for choosing a significant other. Some preferences are silly, such as being a certain height or having a certain hair color, while others are more in-depth, such as religious beliefs or childhood upbringing.

It can be difficult to decide which rules are legitimate and which are outdated. Each gender (and individual person for that matter) has unique ideas and views, but here are a few of the basics.

Pay up
Money should not matter when it comes to love but in general, we consider a guy to be a gentleman if he takes a girl out and pays, right? That’s typically expected. If a girl goes on a date and the guy doesn’t pay, he’s considered cheap and probably not that into her.

But nowadays, when a girl can make the same amount of money as the guy, is it really so odd for her to pay? It dos not necessarily make that man rude, selfish or uninterested just because he doesn’t pay.

“It’s not fair for women to demand equality but cling to this old-fashioned rule,” ISCOR senior Brittney Silver said.

According to an article titled “Dating Rules for Women,” “Let your man pay. If he is interested in a girl, he is interested enough to ensure she eat well and get home safely in a cab.”

First moves
If the guy really likes the girl, he’ll ask for her number, call her and ask her out on a date, pick her up, open the door and treat her to dinner 8212; supposedly.

That shouldn’t mean if a girl has the guts to be bold and ask a guy for his number that she is inferior to the man or easy.

On the other hand, it’s not always about being old-fashioned. We’re all human and we all get nervous or shy, so it’s not really fair to put all the pressure on the guy?

“I’m willing to compromise on a lot of things but I won’t make the first move as far as asking someone out on a date or for a number,” Silver said. “It’s not just because I’m old-fashioned, but more because I am not that brave.”

All created equal
If we’re all so equal, who’s to say that a guy should be the one to make all the first moves? If the girl is interested, she should not hesitate to be up-front and honest, and ask him out.

According to Silver, when women make the first move, she is perhaps perceived to be more masculine or even desperate.

“Maybe if more women asked men out it wouldn’t be as taboo as it is,” Silver said. “So keep it up ladies!”

With all these rules, regulations, compromises and different ideas of relationships, it’s hard to keep up. It seems that with time, the younger generations are breaking out of that traditional idea that dictates masculine men to support the household and women remain submissive.

“I have absolutely no idea who made up all these relationship rules,” French senior Alejandra Garces said. “But I suppose they have been around forever. I think some are legit because they are what we have grown up with and what we consider the norm.”

In the end, it’s always a safer bet to go with your gut: Be honest and avoid games. If there’s really a spark there, there’s no reason to waste time worrying about rules or comparing yourself to other couples or worse, the media. Every couple is unique and can function perfectly well with its own rules.