Whether you’re on your first date or have been seeing a person for a few weeks or longer, the beginning stages of a dating relationship can be very delicate and tenuous.
After all, both of you barely know each other, and any minor thing can make or break your pairing.
A variety of serious dating mistakes can cement your fate, and fast.
1. Lateness:
Many people interpret lateness as a sign that you do not care about or respect their time.
If you are late for a first date or are habitually late for dates in general, whether you intend to or not, you are sending the other person a sign that you really aren’t that interested in her or that you simply are irresponsible.
Avoid that possibility, and always be prompt and show respect.
2. Grooming:
Grooming is vital at any point in a successful dating relationship, but especially at the beginning. Coming across as an unkempt slob can be a major turnoff.
If you haven’t showered, your hair looks greasy and you smell, the person you’re dating is going to want to run away from you instead of go up to you and kiss you.
Make sure to be freshly groomed, from your fingernails and hair to your breath and skin.
3. Exes:
One serious dating “don’t” is talking about your ex. No one you are dating now wants to hear about your past.
It will give off the impression that you are still hung up on your ex and that you haven’t moved on enough to pursue a new relationship. Focus on the present, not the past.
4. Clingy:
In the early stages of a dating relationship, being clingy is a total “no-no.” You don’t want to come across as desperate.
After a first date, do not call or text someone 10 times in a row if you aren’t getting any kind of positive response from him.
Allow the relationship to grow in a mutual manner for both parties.
5. Talking too much:
Another major dating mistake is to do all the talking and none of the listening.
Talking too much and listening too little is an easy way to come across as a selfish narcissist.
Stop obsessively trying to market yourself, and let the conversation move in a natural way. Show that you are engaged in the person by listening intently.
In a relationship, it isn’t 100 percent about you.
6. Bragging:
Coming across as a boastful braggart can be another serious turnoff in a dating situation. You don’t have to casually mention your brand new car or your job promotion every five seconds while on a date.
Although you might think that you are impressing your date, you most likely are simply being irritating and coming across as arrogant.
7. Take it slow:
One common dating mistake is trying to move things to the next level too quickly.
Whether the person you are dating is just coming out of a breakup or is just a cautious person in general, it is important to give her the respect of taking things slowly and surely.
Rushing into a relationship oftentimes is just inviting catastrophe and can also make you come across as needy and irrational.
8. Pretending:
Another common dating mistake is that of accommodation. If you conceal your real personality by accommodating and adapting to fit another person, you are headed on a road to disaster, because eventually you will be found out.
Do not pretend to be a sports connoisseur if you are trying to impress a gym coach, for example.
You will risk coming across as inauthentic, and you will not be able to keep the charade up forever. Be genuine and true to yourself.
Source: Graphic.com.gh