Dating advice
Dating advice is all over the internet, in magazines, books, newspapers and on TV. There’s even an eight year old who wrote a book filled with great dating advise. If you’ve read the book, however, you’d be forced to admit that the eight-year-old boy does know what he’s talking about – he keeps it simple. And that’s it really – when it comes to dating, keep things simple.
Leave your past behind. It just drags you down. Anyone you get dating advise from will tell you that to have even one successful date, you need to dump all your baggage and start afresh. Talking to your date about how your ex mistreated you is definitely not the way forward. Sometimes it isn’t even necessary to talk, and a person who has been hurt once may be over suspicious of any new relationship and this could show in their attitude toward their date.
”Be yourself” is probably the best dating advise possible. Sure, people like to put their best foot forward, and impress their date, but faking only makes both you and your date uncomfortable.
Another useful bit of dating advise is to manage your expectations. If you expect too much out of one date, or of the person you are dating, it’s bound to be disappointing. Even your date is just human, and first dates are notorious for disasters.
A frequently asked question is who pays? Most givers of dating advise agree in principle on this one, that it is the person who initiates the date that pays. But there are politically correct people who are convinced that Dutch is the way to go every time. There’s another school of dating advise thought though, that suggests that the man is not a ‘gentleman’ if he doesn’t pick up the tab. The best thing to do in this case would be to settle for something that you and your date are both comfortable with.
Texting your date before meeting is also a good idea as it puts him or her at ease and allows you to discuss interests, hobbies in an informal and less tense environment than a first date would be. This gives you something to work with if conversation lags.
Basically, just remember, no matter how much dating advise you have, it’s all up to you in the end. If you get it wrong on the first date, you can always try again. If it still doesn’t work, there are always other people to date.