Dating Don ts

Of course, knowing what to do on a first date is important. But knowing what not to do is also important. Women do not want their first date with a man to be a total downer, and this is not the time to act like you do with your male friends. A date is a chance to show a woman what you are capable of, not give her a look at all your bad habits at once.

Never make assumptions during a first date, because you really don't know her well enough to know if she wants you to make romantic overtures or if she wants you to order her meal for her. First dates should be relaxed enough to enjoy but interesting enough to want to repeat. So here are some things you should definitely not do on a first date.

Your date does not want to hear about your last relationship, your crappy boss, or the fight you had with your brother. Dating is not free therapy, so don't turn your date into a therapy session. If she has to hear all the gory details of your last bad date, she isn't going to want to go for date number two with you.

Do not talk on your cell phone, look around constantly to see who is there, check out other women, or leave her alone to have a word with friends. She is your date, and should be treated with respect and courtesy. You may not like her much or think the date is going that well, but you need to give the date your full attention.

Do not make sexual overtures on a first date. This is pretty much an unwritten rule. She might want to hold your hand or kiss you good night on the cheek, but you should never expect something more. First dates are not usually going to turn into sex, so keep your hands to yourself and act like a gentleman and you may get the opportunity down the line to engage in a more physical relationship.

Do not lie to your date about yourself, your life, your job, etc. If that first date turns into something more, eventually you are going to have to confess that you lied, and that will be really awkward. You don't have to tell her everything about you, but you do need to be honest about the things you tell her.

If she does not return your calls, emails, letter, etc. it means that she does not want to see you again. Turning into a stalker is not a good thing, and repeatedly trying to contact someone who obviously does not want to be contacted is considered stalking.

If you find yourself having the same types of bad relationships and making the same kinds of mistakes every time, stop doing it. Date women who are not like the women you usually date and try some new things. Part of the problem with bad relationships is you, so you need to do things differently if you want your love life to be different.