Let's face it, dating can be rough.
Here are some subtle signs to look out for on the first date, so you can make sure you aren't wasting your time on a second date.
Mr. Negative
“The dude complained the whole time about how his friends were all jerks who got hot girls and he was just a nice guy that got shorthanded because he wasn’t a jerk.”
Whether the complaining is as rude as the above, or simple whining about work or parking, negativity is not an an attractive quality. Do you want to spend your life surrounded by positivity or weighted down by negativity?
Smart dating sites like Zoosk use behavioral matchmaking so you can filter for partners who share your positive attitude.
Watch How He Treats Those “Beneath Him”
“The pizza delivery arrives. The delivery lady had the wrong soda – she had regular Coke and he’d ordered Cherry. He completely tears into her, treating her like she’s an idiot and demanding she bring the right one immediately. She, visibly upset, says she just takes what they hand her. She doesn’t put the orders together, but she’ll bring the right one as soon as possible.
As he shuts the door, he laughs and tells me that he would have taken the regular Coke, he just wanted to make her feel like crap. And that’s where all interest ended.”
On a first meet, your date is trying to make his best impression. He wants you to like him. A sneaky way to gauge his true character can be to carefully observe how he treats the waitress or other people he is not trying to impress.
The Overindulged Date
“Around 45 minutes after the date was set to begin, he stumbles into the restaurant, clearly having had multiple drinks too many. Starts towards the table, trips, and smacks his head on the corner of the table where she was sitting. He then fell unconscious and began bleeding profusely from the forehead. Everyone in the restaurant is frozen in awe staring at him, passed out on the floor.”
While meeting guys in bars may seem like the only way to meet single men ready to mingle, it can also introduce you to a lot of men with unsavory habits. If a man drinks too much on the first date, or worse shows up inebriated, don’t let there be a second date. In fact, it may be better to end the date early.
Sick of dating men who love the night life? Zoosk can help you find quality men with other interests and passions.
It’s Okay To Split Checks, But This Is Just Tacky
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“He pulled out his phone to calculate, down to the penny, how much each of our meals cost. I have no issue paying for myself, I prefer it especially for a first date, but I just find that tacky.”
There is nothing wrong with going Dutch for a first date (or any date!). However, paying the bill should not be the focal point of the date. A partner willing to roundup (or down!) a few pennies is probably an easier going partner to have.
The Rude Date
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“The dude I went on a date with did SEVERAL things wrong.
First, he was late, and when he finally arrived at the agreed meeting point, his excuse was that his other date had run late.
He proceeded to toy with his phone throughout the date, telling me he kept receiving messages from this girl that was ‘kind of stalking’ him. He kept hitting my shin under the table when we stopped for something to eat, probably trying to rub his foot against me, I guess? It gave me a small bruise.
He then rated me (a 7, so hurrah?), leaving me too perplexed to find a good reply, while he kept bragging about what a catch he was.”
Anyone who thinks insulting you, however subtly, is the path to your heart is wrong! A late date who arrives with no explanation (or no good explanation!) is a red flag. Other red flags include a date who would rather text others than get to know you or is otherwise disengaged. And finally, a flaming red flag of the rude date, is outright insults. It is never okay to insult your partner. So why give an insulting date the chance to do it again?