The INSIDER Summary:
- Canceling a date is bad form. Go out, be polite and present, and then make up your mind.
- If you made a list of all the qualities you want in a partner, advice columnist E. Jean Carroll will tell you to toss it.
- Mistakes will happen no matter what — embrace them!
Almost everyone has at least one bad date story in their arsenal, whether the person in question was unabashedly rude or the awkward conversation (or lack thereof) seemed like it would never end.
If you don't want to be the star of someone else's woeful dating tale, it's worth heeding the advice of experts in the field.
INSIDER spoke to "modern matchmakers"— who help people navigate the dating world and find love for a living — about the mistakes they see people making in their quest for romance.
Going out on a Thursday night
Statistically speaking, Thursdays aren't the best date nights.
“Thursday is the worst night," said E. Jean Carroll of the ELLE advice column "Ask E. Jean," and founder of matchmaking service Tawkify. "We don't know why. We're going to do follow-up data, we think it's because people go out on Thursday and... they think they're going to meet somebody better on Friday and Saturday.”
Tawkify has found that going out on a Tuesday results in both sides being 30% more likely to want to go out again.
Planning boring dates
A date spent sitting across from each other while sipping coffee during awkward pauses can be painful. Carroll recommends activities that get your blood pumping.
“I don't like to put people sitting down for drinks. I'm against that," said Carroll. "Because one, you're sitting on your most important asset, and alcohol doesn't help right at the start. I like to put people on a roller coaster or in a canoe or someplace. It's more interesting.”
Canceling a date
Even if you don't think a date will go anywhere, canceling at the last minute is disrespectful and isn't the best way to get out of it.
“Canceling a date is really bad news," said Chana Rose, a matchmaker with 30 years of experience. "You go out, you spend the two hours with somebody, and then you say it's not for you." That way, you've at least made an informed decision.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider