We looooove a first date. (Read: Nobody loves a first date.)
First dates are awkward. No matter how good they end up being, they start off awkward. There's always nerves surrounding them. Am I going to impress them? Are they going to impress me? How are we going to get along?
Do we kiss? What do I say? How do I be myself?
Wouldn't we all like a little more guidance?
u/CircleBox2 asked:
"What's a first date tip that could save you a lot of embarrassment?"
Here were some suggestions.
Don't Be A Silent Jerk
Ask questions in general. Don't just talk about yourself. Don't expect them to carry the conversation. When in doubt, ask a question about the topic they were just talking about. Chances are it's a topic they're interested in.
This Was A Less Than Ideal Ending
This couple matched on a dating service and agreed to go out. The girl, however, didn't follow my rule (using the restroom before you leave) and wound up having to go to bathroom when they got back to his place. So she does her thing, right, but the toilet ends up being clogged and it over flows. To save herself some embarrassment she tries to wrap up her crap in a towel with the intention of throwing it out the window. But the window is too high. So she climbs up and gets herself stuck dangling out of the window with her wrapped up poo sitting there on the edge beneath the window. Her date has to call 9–1-1 to get her out of there.
Classy, Not College
Make sure that you have enough money to pay for the entire date. I think that splitting the tab for food/drinks on the first date is pretty normal, but it always helps to be prepared, especially if you are the one who asked the other person out.
Also, be punctual. Another person has agreed to spend a chunk of their free time with you, so that needs to be appreciated and respected. And don't get lit up on shots, reach a level beyond buzzed, or order any drink that has the word "bomb" anywhere in the name.
Let It Go, Let It Go
A first date is like a pilot of a TV show. It determines whether there is going to be a second date and so on. All you have to do on the first date is just have fun, get to know each other, if you click, it's great! If you don't, so what? It's a first date.
Furry Backup Plans
I would recommend to not go for a dinner date or a movie date for the first date. Both are better suited for later dates. Both of them have issues like who pays for the dinner/tickets and there is no easy escape if the date is not going well.
My go to option is to just go for a coffee/tea in a nice cafe. Coffee and tea are not that expensive, so it really doesn't matter who pays and they also provide a good atmosphere to just talk to your date. Pro tip are interesting cafes like the cat cafes that exist in some cities. It is a regular cafe but with cats. If the date doesn't go well, you can still play with some cats.
Impress? But Whom?
If you're a man who feels societal obligation to pay on the first date, actually listen to what your date is telling you. I much prefer paying for myself, especially that early on in a relationship, but I've occasionally been up against guys who feel the need to pay even though I was clearly very uncomfortable with it and I knew neither of them were particularly financially better off than me anyway.
Past the point of me offering to be polite, it was quite clear I genuinely wanted to pay for myself and that was what they wanted too, they just felt pressure to keep up appearances. We ended up agreeing that he would pay in the restaurant and I would transfer him the money (this has happened multiple times to me!). It made it pretty clear that they were much more interested in appearing gentlemanly to the wait staff than making me comfortable - remember who you're trying to impress!
Let Them Come To You
As a guy, no touching/kissing on a first date. If they are interested, women will try to touch your arm/hand. I never initiate touching because if you touch them and they pull away, it's game over. The most I'll ever do on a first date is touch their back as I guide them through a door and maybe a hug at the end of the night.
Besides, I like to spend the first date getting to know them. When you're worried about kissing them or how much you can touch them, it's really distracting and turns into a mental tug of war. I like to alleviate that and just have fun and get to know them. Plus, it puts your dates mind at ease and they're not trying to play defense. I've found it's just better for everyone if you don't even think about it.
Takin' Care Of Yoself
People don't realize how important this is but TAKE A SHOWER RIGHT BEFORE YOUR DATE!!! Put on deodorant and a small amount of cologne/perfume. You want to smell good if they get up close but not be overpowering.
Keep It Busy
This is kind of my thing, but I like putting together first dates where we do some kind of activity. Of course it depends on a lot of factors, but I especially like dates where we do something with our hands. Plopping down when you first meet someone and trying to have a natural 2 hour conversation with someone is pretty difficult in any context, and so keeping your hands busy takes a lot of the edge off.
Take The Pressure Off
Honestly, going on a double date for our first date is probably what made me score my fiancé. I'm such an awkward person but I was comfortable being around the other couple and ultimately made me open up to him. He didn't call me for 3 days but I'm finding out that's because that's what his roommate told him to do. So standard. But 2.5 years later and we're hopefully still getting married 10/3/2020!
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