Sliding versus deciding

…the relationship psychologist Scott Stanley has documented a modern trend of "sliding versus deciding. That is: Young adults drift into major relationship decisions (like moving in together) without ever making a conscious commitment to each other. Avoiding a conscious commitment preserves the feeling (if not necessarily the reality) of keeping one's options open. But couples who "slide" into escalating commitment end up less satisfied in the long term. And, if they slide into marriage, they are more likely to get divorced.

—David Epstein, Inside the Box