Here’s How Long Scientists Say It Takes to Decide You Want to Marry Someone

Whether it was love at first sight or your partner needed a little extra coaxing to pop the question, every couple has a story of how long it took for them to realize that they had found “the one.” However, a group of scientists believes they have figured out the exact time frame.

According to a new study, it takes around six months, or 172 days, for a person to decide if the person they are dating is marriage material. Researchers polled 2,000 coupled and uncoupled people and found that married and single people have very different ideas of how long it will take them to find the person they wanted to marry.

While singles concluded they would need at least 210 days before making such a big decision, it was the married participants that believed 172 days was sufficient.

“Romantic partners might incorrectly assume that deciding to tie the knot is a lengthy and deliberative decision,” Nadav Klein, a PhD student at the University of Chicago and co-author of the study, told The New York Post. “Our findings suggest that people misunderstand how quickly they make judgments.”

Researchers believe around three months is when the “honeymoon” period begins to wear off and we start to see the other person’s faults and quirks. This is when we begin to decide if those faults and quirks are deal breakers or things we can live with.

Participants also told researchers that it took five bad interactions before they realized they just weren’t compatible with someone. However, the data suggests that it only takes three bad impressions for someone to realize it’s time to end a relationship.

After this study, maybe love at first sight should be changed to love at 172 days!