Ah the first date….
You arrive before him, staking your claim on a decent corner table, so you don’t have to awkwardly wait in line with your date; throwing away all your best conversation starters within the first 2 minutes of meeting him.
As you anxiously wait, you order a beer to loosen up and keep yourself occupied so the other patrons think you’re ‘having a good time’ alone – when in fact, they haven’t even noticed you’ve taken a seat.
Before you decided to meet IRL, you swiped right for a reason – there was an immediate attraction and now all that’s left, is everything else; personality, chemistry, sense of humor, values, good conversation and the list goes on.
He walks through the door and is exactly what you had in mind. Perfect. Already warmed up from your first beer, you order another round and effortlessly push passed the small talk; ‘are you from here?’ ‘where do you work’, ‘how was your day’, you know the drill.
You can’t help but notice through your immediate conversation that he has either used these lines before or rehearsed them in the mirror prior to arrival. He makes ‘not so subtle’ references to his d*ck size followed by a couple of jokes that instantly fall flat. His arrogance toward the wait staff is also a painful distraction. Turned off, you decide to order a third drink which is followed by a generous offer of shots from the bartender.
Conversation is flowing now, first impressions are out the window and you LIKE him. All signs lead to a second date; but let’s pause and rewind a second here.
It’s only after three drinks and a shot that your date has actually become bearable. Before the liquid courage, you found him obnoxious and self serving.
The majority of single Americans (53 percent), believe alcohol helps a conversation along and I completely agree. One or two drinks settles the nerves and loosens up the conversation, but be aware of how quickly the beer goggles can provide a misrepresentation.
On your next date, I challenge you to set a two drink max and evaluate your crush using your better judgement and sober state of mind.
*Data found in Plenty of Fish Conversation Nation Study.
