The first flush of conversation between you and your date can be nerve wracking. If you don’t manage to condense the best bits of your personality into an hour or two, chances are that a second meeting is off the cards. Pressure to act fast and loose with your date can cause all sorts of dilemmas: should you go in for a smooch to seal the deal, or even invite them for coffee at your place if things are going particularly well?
The alternative is not to rush at romance. Taking it slow is far better for establishing a long-term relationship. It’ll let you figure each other out, and build anticipation for what’s to come. Here are some reasons why you should reign in your inner lothario…
Liars won’t last
Okay, it’s expected that you’re going to embellish yourself slightly to impress someone. We’re used to controlling our personalities on social media, but dating will eventually reveal the true you, whether you like it or not. A guy who boasts he’s a party animal will surely be undone when it comes to hanging out with your friends. Over time, each date will chip away bravado to uncover the authentic you underneath.
Agree to disagree
In those first few dates, it’s tempting to jump ship at the smallest sign that you and your match are not so compatible after all. However, disagreements don’t have to be a deal-breaker in dating. In fact, the more you see each other, the more likely you are to love their quirks and differences.
Couples disagree all the time, and it’s normal and healthy to do so, but it’s how you share opinions that’ll make or break your future together. Not jumping into anything too quickly is the surest way of realising how compatible your differences are.
Tough nuts are the sweetest to crack
Playing hard-to-get is often thought of as a pejorative attitude to have. After all, if you like someone, why delay the inevitable? It is, however, definitely worth holding back from falling into someone’s arms at the drop of a hat.
The sooner you become intimate, the harder it will be to disembroil yourself if things don’t work out. Savour those early stages of getting to know one another, and those relationship milestones will be so much sweeter. So don’t be scared of playing it cool until you and your date feel the time is right to take things further.
Patience is a virtue, and virtue is the blueprint of a healthy love life. By maintaining a steady pace of give and take with that gorgeous somebody, you’ll look back on those early dates with a grin on your face, knowing that so much more was waiting for you down the road.
There is one thing you should jump into though, and that’s joining FreeAndSingle to start the dating ball rolling! Sign up today to find local singles near you.