As much as your friends and family love dispensing dating advice, some of their advice should be taken with a grain of salt. If you aren’t careful, you could end up sabotaging your love life without fully understanding why. We’ve asked James Preece, UK’s Top Dating Coach, to report on the bad dating tips that his clients have received from their well-intentioned–yet misguided–loved ones. Here are examples of the worst dating advice you should start ignoring immediately:
1) You’ll meet someone when you least expect it
If you aren’t proactive about your dating life, you won’t get any dates. You should be doing everything you can to boost your chances of meeting someone. Keep up with your online dating, accept party invites, and remain open-minded towards potential romantic partners.
2) Just be yourself
While you should never pretend to be something you aren’t, you must stand out for the right reasons. There won’t be second dates in your future if you are miserable or boring with little to offer. Focus on making yourself as dateable as possible. Try new things, find your passion, live a happy life. Happy people are generally more attractive and inviting than those who are negative and pessimistic.
3) Women should never make the first move
Why wait for men to notice you when you can message the men who you’ve noticed? Don’t be embarrassed to make the first move. In fact, 80% of men say they would be flattered if a woman sent them the first message.
Your initiative may scare some less confident men away, so the secret is to make these shy types think the invitation was their idea. Drop lots of hints about the things you’d like to try and the places you’d like to go. These signals should encourage him to plan a romantic outing.
4) Only date one person at a time
Don’t act exclusive unless you are exclusive. Continue to date and see other people until you’re ready to get serious. If you realize that someone isn’t right for you, do not dwell on him or her or try to “fix” things, simply go out with someone new.
5) Play hard to get if you want to be liked
Taking this advice will leave your date confused and wondering if you are actually interested. Keep your signals consistent and be clear about your intentions to eliminate guesswork. If you’re interested in seeing your date again, then let him or her know! Confidence is always attractive.
James Preece is an experienced relationship expert and has helped thousands of men and women worldwide find love, build confidence, and improve their relationships.
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