First dates can be some of the most exciting and memorable moments of our lives ... and also the most awkward and terrifying. Have you ever had to wait at a bar for someone, while drinking your margarita, and looking like an alcoholic all alone on a Wednesday night?
Especially if it's your first time meeting them in person. Perfect dates are ideal, but do they really exist? Most likely not, but with the right moves it can be pretty close, and you'll soon find yourself planning the second date.
To help first daters navigate the exciting yet imperfect world of dating, the dating site Zoosk examined the first dates of two couples and analyzed the good and the bad. They then came up with this list of do's and don'ts for a first date, and although they seem obvious, the numbers might surprise you.
Here are the 3 biggest first-date turn-offs for men, according to research:
1. Mentioning how many partners you've been with
52 percent of men don't want to know how many partners their dates have had in the past. I certainly don't want to hear about any exes on any date number.
2. Talking about money
Only 8 percent of men want to know about your financial status, but the rest would prefer you don't talk about it. You can talk about your job, but not your salary.
3. Revealing secrets about your intimate life
A whopping 68 percent of men prefer that their dates not reveal any unusual fetishes during the first date. Wait until much later on, like the third date.
Rama Sundana Putra / Pexels
Here are 3 biggest first date turn-ons for men:
1. Talking about children. The same survey revealed that 41 percent of men want to discuss their date's desire, unwillingness, or inability to have children during the first or soon after. It doesn't matter when, as long as it's before things get serious. You don't want to fantasize about a life with someone who doesn't want the same things.
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2. Talking about your career. 66 percent of men want to discuss employment status during or immediately after the first date. Maybe this topic will finally decide who pays on a first date, or maybe you tell a corny joke based on his job and he doesn't find it funny, and then doesn't call you back after. What do people think about who pays on a first date? According to one YouGov poll, 35% of people think men should be the ones asking for the bill at the of the date.
3. Honesty. Sensitive but important information — such as whether you have children or are going through a divorce — should be brought up during first contact, according to 56 percent of men in their survey. As long as it's nothing anything too serious, like you have a felony, your little quirks can wait until you two are official.
Shannon Ullman is a writer who focuses on travel and adventure, women's health, pop culture, and relationships. Her work has appeared in the Huffington Post, MSN, and Matador Network.
