10. Arrive late
We all know that making an effort to arrive on time shows respect and consideration. But it also prevents your date from being in a bad mood after having waited, alone and stared at by the waiters, for an hour. Can't prevent arriving late? Be sure to call to let your date know if you don't want them to think you're self-centered and inconsiderate. And apologize profusely when you arrive.
9. Pick a poor venue
It can be difficult to choose the perfect first date venue. You want a place that's low-pressure, widely appealing, and where it's easy to talk. But you also want a place that's interesting and shows, a bit of who you are. Taking a girl to a sports bar for your first date is one of the quickest ways to send her packing.
8. Show off
We all want to impress the people that we date, and it's perfectly natural to want to show your best side and make the best impression you can. Which is why many people tend to brag or show off on a first date. If you hear yourself going on about how much money you make or how many touchdowns you scored in college, stop immediately and change the subject.
7. Treat people badly
They say that one of the best ways to gauge how a potential partner will treat you is to watch how he or she treats the people who serve them. You know, waiters, cashiers, and the like. If you're rude to the people around you when you're on a date, you may be setting off warning bells in your date's head. And ruining your chances of getting a second date.
6. Too much pressure
If you meet somebody that you really like and finally get to go out with them, it's perfectly natural to want the date to go well. If the person in question seems to have a lot of potential to turn into a real relationship, the tendency is to put a lot of pressure on the outcome of the date. Unfortunately, too much pressure is the best way to take away what will make the date successful in the first place: fun.
5. Be less-than-clean
This should be an obvious one. If you did a couple extra miles on the treadmill or worked late and didn't have time to shower... arrive late to your date. Sure, showing up late is a great way to ruin a date, but smelling to high-heaven is an even better one. Call and tell your date that, due to unforeseen circumstances, you're running a little behind. Then go and take a shower.
4. Talk on the phone
When you're on a first date, don't even turn your phone on. Leave it at home or turn it off so you can focus all of your attention on your date. Because if you can't even go without sending text messages for a couple short hours, it doesn't bode well for your ability to focus on your date in the long term.
3. Don't ask
Especially for men, it can be too easy to let your date do all the asking. But what you don't realize is that, oftentimes, women ask questions to fill the silence, not because they don't want to tell you about themselves. Asking questions and showing interest in your date is important for both sexes.
2. Not have a plan
Sure, dinner may be a dud. But it might be really great, too. Just in case you want to continue the evening, have a plan for something fun to do afterwards. Go to a cool little music bar or a club. Walk in the park. Just don't say, "Um, I dunno... what do you wanna do?"
1. Lie
The worst thing you can do on a date is try to pretend you're somebody else... the "somebody" that you think your date is looking for. If you lie or misrepresent yourself, your date will probably know, even if only on a subconscious level. And you'll be cheating yourself out of the opportunity to be with somebody who really likes you for you. Be straight, be real, and most of all, be honest.
