What are you thoughts on courting strangers?

It doesn’t make sense to only try to meet people the old fashioned way any more with the internet world all around us. It was nice to meet other people through mutual friends so that you could more or less trust that the person you were meeting wasn’t an ax murderer or just plain crazy. But now, there is such an open, vast amount of people you can meet, why limit yourself? I think in all instances, you need to be careful who you give personal information to, but I think if you have a crush, go for it, at least you might make a new friend.

Never hurts to ask, as long as you leave it at that if it turns out the person is in a relationship with someone. My husband and I were total strangers when we went on our first date. Why not?

I say if you’re interested in someone go for it. Even if they turn you down, it’s not like you lost anything. We were all strangers to each other until the first hello.

bleck. I misspelled “your”.

A bunch of old aphorisims come to mind:
Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t.
Beware of strangers bearing gifts.
Don’t give yourself too soon or to the first comer.
Before you hook-up with someone, walk a mile in their shoes. If it turns out you need to be afraid of them, they’ll be a mile away and barefoot! smile:)

Complete strangers are the ultimate in risk reward. Often we meet people through our circle of friends, and can get some reliable background info on that person. Meeting someone at a bar, online, out and about presents a situation where you know nothing other than what they tell you and there are your share of horror stories of con men/women, married, deadbeat not who they say they are…and at the same time there is that needle in the haystack….diamond in the rough… happy ever after stories too!

There are no strangers, only lovers we haven’t met.

Actually, not sure what you’re asking, aren’t most people you want to go out with strangers at first? If you’ve met them at school or work, then you do know them slightly before wanting to go out with them. If you’re talking about people you’ve met on the internet, that’s a whole ‘nother animal and I would go slower there. However, I do know people in very successful relationships who met on the internet first.

Life’s too short, take risks for love.

@janbb: I’m talking specificially about people you encounter (at a distance) at work/school/etc who you have not interacted with.

Courting strangers? What does this mean? I don’t see how you can court a stranger. You can meet a stranger. You can learn a little about a stranger. But you can’t court someone you know nothing about.

Are you thinking about the “love at first sight” story? That seems different, because in that case, it seems like it’s mutual. Both like the other. It’s not one courting the other.

I don’t quite understand what this question is really about.

People are people get to know them the best you can and make your judgement.

The only thing I would hate is too find out they were complete liars or the such, but people tend to be fairly honest least ones I have met or talked to I should say.

@wundayatta : coming on to/asking out strangers in the workplace, school, etc. strangers being people you encounter (at a distance) at work/school/etc who you have not interacted with.

I don’t understand how would it occur one to ask someone out if they were a stranger? Certainly before the thought even comes to your mind you must have had some interaction to make you think the other person is interesting?

@Janka : That’s what I would think, too. But the number of questions that have popped up recently about this subject seem to point to a different way of thinking. I’m curious as to what people think about that.