Dating brings its own unique set of pitfalls and landmines. For some people, it can feel like you’re making mistakes without even knowing what’s going wrong. If that’s you, we’ve got some common mistakes that
1) Revealing that you’re Facebook stalking them on your first date.
It’s natural to do a little Facebook or social media stalking on a new partner, but you can’t reveal that you’re doing it. If they think you’ve been studying their profile, you’ll almost certainly scare this person off.
When the person is telling a story, even if you’ve already read about it on social media, don’t let on that you know. And
2) You overanalyze everything on the first date.
Not everything has a deeper meaning. Sometimes, a thing happens just because it happens and it carries no special significance.
If your mind is racing with possibilities about unspoken signals or body language, you won’t be fully engaged in what your date is actually saying. It will make you appear aloof and will almost certainly bore the other person.
3) Giving up when there’s not immediate chemistry.
Some people expect that when they meet that special someone, they’ll just know right away. For these people, if there aren’t sparks immediately, they tune out and won’t give the date a fair chance. This is a major mistake.
While those meetings might look great in movies, they aren’t a realistic depiction of most relationships. For many people, chemistry actually develops after a little time. Don’t immediately give up just because the sparks aren’t there at the first hug or handshake.
4) You have a crazy list of dealbreakers.
Some dealbreakers are normal. It’s totally fine to have standards that you aren’t willing to compromise on. But be realistic — no one is perfect, not even the person you’ll eventually wind up marrying.
If your list of dealbreakers is incredibly long and you’re unwilling to compromise on anything, you’re going to be single for a really, really long time. Don’t set unrealistic standards that are literally impossible for anyone to meet.
5) You drink too much on the first date.
It’s tempting to have a few drinks to break the ice and give yourself a little confidence. A glass of wine with dinner is fine. Drinking the whole bottle by yourself is not.
If you go overboard, you’re going to scare off your date. It’s really not attractive to see someone so nervous that they get sloppy drunk on the first date. Limit yourself on the alcohol, even if it means suffering through some initial awkwardness.
6) You only talk about work.
Everyone talks about work on the first date. It’s important to know what your date does for a living and it can reveal some interesting details about their personality. If that’s all you have to talk about, however, your date will get bored.
Be sure you have some hobbies or other interests to talk about. Better yet, have something that you’re really passionate about that you want to share with your date. Enthusiasm is infectious and shows real passion in a person.
