Most have seen it, few have been part of it, but all acknowledge it: Hillsdating. Hillsdating is a colloquial term used to define a relationship in which both parties are interested and spend large amounts of time together but avoid the commitment of a label. But it is not commitment that Hillsdating “couples” are afraid of, it is the label. Specifically labeling as a means of communicating long-term intention. While developing an emotional bond is relatively easy, experimentation shows that “those in developing and continuing relationships begin to take into account long-term goals for the relationship as an entity additional to the needs and desires of the two individuals.” This means that even those who have become dependent on one another for emotional and intellectual fulfillment may still be hesitant to attach a label which indicates a constraint on their future. A study performed by Iowa State University found that relationship “expectations fall into three categories: non-romantic (friend), pre-romantic (talking, hanging-out, and casual dating), and romantic (dating). Ambiguity about the expectations for sharing information was high for the relationships in the pre-romantic category and low for the romantic.” Nothing kills relationships like bad communication, and nothing kills communication like fear of articulating expectations. So Hillsdating friends, if your potential partner is good, true, and beautiful, muster up the courage and put a label on it.