But, of course, this murky-by-definition arrangement doesn’t come without precarity – and even risk. In theory, situationships can function as a container for “radical honesty”, says Wade, when two people are open about what they really want and agree on the terms of a transparent situationship. But in practice, it can be difficult for two people’s priorities to align, and situationships can end poorly when each party is not on the same page about what they want out of the situation. Most commonly, she says this happens when one person is ready to progress to a committed relationship, but a fear of change might keep both people from ever discussing this.