Guys, believe it or not, you can ruin your date before getting very far into it. How is this possible, you ask? The answer lies in the many subtle nuances of the female mind. Everything from the way you ask her out to what the date will consist of to what you intend to wear will be psychoanalyzed by the lucky lady in question, leading to potentially disastrous consequences.
No specific date activity
Too often, guys are content to simply ask a girl out without a definite plan. “I’ll figure something out later”, we think. This lack of preparedness may be a major problem, according to experts in the dating field. According to new and emerging research, women prefer men who approach them with a specific date in mind. The reason? It lets women vividly picture the date in the days leading up to it.
The fix? Ask “Let’s go to that new Mexican place on the strip” instead of “Let’s go out this Friday.”
Lack of body odor control
As obvious as this seems, it is one of the most overlooked tenets of sound date preparation. It’s also top among the list of date-gone-wrong horror stories from girls everywhere. The reason for this perennial date downfall is hard wired into our nature. Ever heard the saying “scent is the strongest sense tied to memory?” That’s why a bad case of body odor is what a girl will remember, even after an otherwise fun and normal date.
The fix here is obvious. Make sure the clothes you wear are clean and that you shower before putting them on. This one-two punch of cleanliness should deliver the knockout to your B.O. Worries!
Distracting or inappropriate clothing
This is another oft-overlooked date killer. Common sense and logic should be your guides to smart decisions here. If you stop and think about it, that ripped Van Halen shirt probably isn’t what you want to roll up to her door wearing. Ditto for those oh-so-clever “FBI – Female Body Inspector” spoofs. You want your clothing to speak to the class and style of the man wearing it.
What are some safe options? Polo shirts are always a good bet, along with khaki pants or dark, ironed jeans. Of course, it’s been said that the shoes make the man, so those New Balances you mow the lawn in are a huge no-no. If necessary, go out and invest in some quality dress casual shoes to wear.
A messy vehicle
You wouldn’t believe how many girls complain about the condition of a guy’s car. There are guys who see nothing wrong with letting their date step into a car littered with candy wrappers, McDonalds bags, junk mail, and God knows what else. In any girl worth dating, this evokes strong feelings of “Wow, this guy is a total slob.” The next logical thought is, “How much can this matter to him if he lets me get into a filthy car?”
Guys, c’mon. Can you blame her? Take a good half hour to deep clean your blessed hell ride inside and out. It’s a visual clue that you take yourself and this date seriously.
Bad mood or temper
We all have tough days at home or the office, but if your bad temper manifests itself on your date, you’re in trouble. Yelling at other cars, punching your steering wheel, or being impolite to restaurant staff will make a lasting impression on your date, and it wont be a good one. Women associate such behavior with emotional immaturity and a bad temper. If this is how you act in public, they reason, what will it be like behind closed doors if you two argue? What you dismiss as blowing off steam may have huge ramifications in a woman’s mind.
The key here is to begin your date in a calm, happy state of mind. There are many ways to do this. If you’ve had a tough day, squeeze in a quick jog or workout before your date. (Just make sure you shower after!) Burn a CD of relaxing music to listen to on your drive to her house. Whatever you do, leave your bad mood at home if you intend on having a night to remember.
