First dates are nerve-wracking for everyone. Research has shown us that the first 30 minutes of your date can tell you whether you want to see more of the person, or whether it’s time to say goodbye.
Time is a premium for all of us. So, keep these in mind when evaluating who you want to spend your precious time with. This doesn’t mean that you are being rude. It means that you respect both your and the other person’s time.
0 – 10 minutes
You have set a place and time to meet someone. You show up, and locate the table with a lone ranger. As you are walking up and observing the person, if you are wondering if you should walk away and disappear, please walk up and give yourself at least 10 minutes with the individual. In 10 minutes, if you still feel the same, then it’s okay to have an emergency call or remember something urgent and split. But it is absolutely not cool to not show up. No one likes to be stood up – not even you!
10 – 20 minutes
You are still feeling a bit awkward. Any conversation that starts either ends very quickly or the response is monosyllabic. Conversations that start seem to have no appeal for either of you. You’ve started looking around hoping that the wait staff will interrupt, and you’ve gulped down some coffee at the risk of burning your mouth. When conversations are as uncomfortable as the silence, it is time to call this one a miss.
20 – 30 minutes
You’ve passed the first 20 minutes, but by this time if you are still racking your brain to find topics to talk about, it’s going to be a lasting struggle. If conversations are not flowing easily by 30 minutes and you do not have a lingering smile through the conversation (even perhaps laughing out loud when you find something funny), meeting this person again alone will be a bit of a chore the next time.
If 30 minutes have passed and you had no idea, then you can be assured that you’re headed for a good encounter.
What are your thought on our 30 minutes or less observation? Do you agree or disagree? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!