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Apparently, it only takes about half a year to know if the person you’re seeing is actually “the one”.

A new study has revealed that it takes around 172 days for a person to decide if the person they're dating is marriage material. That's basically six months.

The researchers had 2000 participants, both single and in a relationship, and found that both groups had different answers to how long it would take them to find the person they wanted to marry.

The singles reckon they’d need about 210 days to make that call, while the married participants believed 172 days was enough. Researchers say people assume deciding to marry someone is this slow, serious process, but actually, we clock it pretty quickly.

Study co-author Nadav Klein told The Post that “romantic partners might incorrectly assume that deciding to tie the knot is a lengthy and deliberative decision.” He added, “Our findings suggest that people misunderstand how quickly they make judgments.”

The research even found that it takes three bad interactions to decide you don’t vibe with someone, even though most people swear it takes five. Three strikes and they’re out.

Psychologist Joe Taravella backed the study up, saying that once the three-month honeymoon period wears off, people drop the act and the real them steps forward. His advice is simple and this is to just trust your gut.

“People are constantly showing you who they are, so just be aware of what you see,” Joe said. And if those vibes aren’t vibing, “it’s best to just move on.”

Published by Arju Pun

10 Dec 2025