First dates can be many things: fun, exciting, nerve wracking and even terrible. But they can also be VERY informative and insightful about your date AND about yourself! Here are 9 surprising things you can learn on a first date:
  1. Are they respectful: showing up late, constantly checking their messages and/or checking out the restaurant staff during your date are signs that the person you are with may not be worth being with.
  2. Are they balanced: someone who talks the whole time about their (stressful) job, and little or not at all about their non-work life, may be a workaholic, or they may just be nervous. To find out which it is, ask them what they do for fun.
  3. Are they serious: a first date is not a good time to determine if someone is your perfect match, but it can be a good time to see if someone is looking to meet someone special, or if they are just looking for a 'casual encounter'. If you are unsure, a second or third date might be a better time to decide if you want to take the "next step".
  4. Are they interesting: true chemistry can be hard to judge on a first date, but you can get a sense of whether you enjoy the person's company and whether you find them interesting. This, in fact, is more important than pure physical chemistry on a first date.
  5. Are you interested: if you feel strangely nervous on a date, or find yourself getting easily flustered, it may be a sign that you have chemistry with your date. Having some nerves on a first date is normal and should be taken as a positive sign.
  6. Are you dating too infrequently: if you find that your dates are so infrequent that you feel totally awkward on a date, it may be a sign that you need to date more. Opening up your criteria, being more proactive in your dating life, and/or hiring a professional dating service can help get you on more quality dates, which will help you relax and enjoy your dates more.
  7. Are you dating too much: if you are having a hard time focusing on your date, or even remembering someones name and details, it may be a sign that you need to date less. Fewer 'good dates' with compatible singles is almost always better than more 'bad dates'.
  8. Are they open minded: feeling like you are being interviewed on a date is never fun and rarely leads to a good date. If you find yourself in such a situation, try asking some lighthearted questions about your date ('what do you do for fun'; 'what's the favorite country you have travelled to', etc.) to see if you can change the mood.  If you still find yourself being interviewed on a second or third date, it might be time to move along.
  9. Are you relationship ready: if you find yourself enjoying and really getting to know your dates, and if you find yourself going on second or third dates with all or most of your dates, it can be a good sign that you practising 'positive dating'; which is the single best way to find a relationship partner.