Dr.
Goodheart's Flirting Hints for Dating Success
FLIRTING
on the JOB
- Dating Tips That Might
be Worth the Risk -
1) OPPOSITES ATTRACT
Though people tend to settle down and find their "type" per say
in the dating world, that doesn't mean if the guy's not 6'3", a
banker, with a Porsche and a cute Labrador on the side you shouldn't
still give him a chance. Likewise if you're ideal girl is in the
way of a 5'10" blonde supermodel look-alike but the uncanny 5'3"
brunette happens to catch your eye and holds your attention for
more than 5 minutes it's a good sign you should let go of your dating
stereotypes and branch out a little. Whether it be jocks, preppies,
cheerleaders, accountants, musicians, good girls, bad boys, whatever
your predilection, go for something totally different and you'd
be surprised how quickly sparks can fly; sometimes a little change
in environment is all that's necessary to get the ball rolling.
2) BREAK THE BARRIER
Sure pat chitchat is always a good essential to have on a first
date. From the random safe compliments of each other's getups to
the shallow exploration of each other's personal lives; details
kept at bay until the relationship reaches the next level, and all
that jazz, its important to establish a good rapport in the first
fifteen minutes of dialogue otherwise the rest of the night might
fall flat. That said it is as much the women's responsibility as
the man's to initiate and perpetuate ice-breaking repartee. However,
once on comfortable ground, it's imperative to step it up a notch
or two by switching gears and asking a more, gasp, profound question
that may go deeper than "I love those red shoes, where did you get
them!"
Though cliché you could even opt for the cheesy, yet psychologically
compelling questions such as "If you could have lunch with any 5
people, dead or alive, who would they be and why?" Questions like
this get the ball rolling and often you find yourself much more
informed about your date, and thus able to make a more decisive
judgment about the potential for a relationship, than you would
had you just stuck to either complimenting each others' hair and
prodding for those cheesy one-liners to fill awkward gaps of silence
with feigned laughter.
3) RISK EMBARRASSMENT
So you're not the next American Idol, and you sure as heck lack
skills in the dancing department just as much as you secretly love
those cheesy kiddy amusement parks. In the words of Nike, "Just
Do It". Be willing to risk embarrassment and more importantly, be
willing to laugh at yourself. If you decide to go to a karaoke bar
even though you're terrified to display your tone-deaf crooning,
bite the bullet, slug a beer, and murder the song with enthusiastic
pride: think Cameron Diaz in "My Best Friend's Wedding". People
love someone who isn't afraid to live in the moment, regardless
of the ridiculousness or the hilarity of the situation. Also, if
you have a secret penchant for those arcades and or other less 'mature'
venues, don't be afraid to suggest a 'Go-kart' date, etc; if they're
truly into you they will appreciate your spunkiness and child-like
innocence (everyone say, "awww). Likewise, don't be afraid to do
things that you may not excel in simply because you don't want your
date to know you're suddenly inept in certain categorical talents,
be it dancing, singing, rock climbing, bowling, etc. Think of it
as a challenge and an opportunity to grow as a person and go full
throttle; prepared to laugh at all your inept glory the whole way
through.
4) WE'RE NOT IN KANSAS ANYMORE
Too many times people fall into the monotony of the "same ol',
same ol'" dating method that has been the clinch factor for ending
many potentially healthy relationships. Routine, despite the security
of its predictability, leads to monotony, which leads to boredom,
which leads to. are you catching my drift here? After a few years
of dating one can expect the exciting thrill of novelty and 'newdom'
to slow down a few notches. But when a relationship is in its beginning
stages one should never be in want of ideas to spice up life. That
said, it's important not to fall into the dregs of predictable Friday/Saturday
night dinner+movie dates which soon lead to a vacuous relationship
that focuses more on the analysis of Brad Pitt's hairdo than the
reflections of the progression of your own relationship. However,
food is always closely linked with intimacy and there's no reason
you can't keep a dinner date in the books for a safety plan. Nevertheless
it often becomes all too easy to find that "favorite" restaurant,
etc. that you will ALWAYS go back to. Try to keep some variety:
try an exotic belly dancing venue with tasty Moroccan food, or a
wonderfully ethnic Chinese restaurant, or perhaps you could even,
occasionally, splurge and do the fine-dining thing at a venue that
offers dinner, cocktails, and ballroom or other dance floors which
can aid in passing sufficient hours of time in an intimate and enjoyable
fashion. Whatever you opt for, be it a random decision to try skydiving, an eccentric arts and crafts fair, or simply a new restaurant, be
sure to keep things versatile and ever changing. Do that and you're sure to prolong the spark in the new relationship much longer than
had you stuck with safety routines.
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