You will get lots of dating advice and most of it is given with the best of intentions. Still, you’ll find a good deal of it to be worthless, if not damaging. Even though we offer advice here, I still recommend that you weigh it against your own thoughts and feelings. Never take advice, no matter how good it might sound, as the final word on any subject. Ultimately, you have to decide what is right for you.
On that note, perhaps a better title for this article would be “dating suggestions.” I don’t want to tell people what to do. I just want to share my observations, knowledge, and experience, and hope that doing so will help you make decisions that lead you to a healthy, happy social life.
Playing Games
My first suggestion is to avoid playing games. People will tell you to play hard to get, to pretend to be interested in things that don’t interest you, and they will give you other advice such as pretending that you are busy when you are not. I think these are bad ideas. While the premises may be good, playing games is not.
You don’t have to play hard to get; you just have to avoid being too easy. If you’re not interested in something, it’s okay to admit it. He or she is going to find out eventually anyway. Rather than pretending to be busy, keep yourself busy instead of sitting by the phone. Empower yourself instead of letting your life revolve around another person.
Make Yourself Happy
Many people will tell you that others can’t make you happy. This one is completely true. You cannot depend on others for your happiness, because they will disappoint you. You have to be happy with yourself before you can be happy with someone else. Get rid of all that baggage that weighs you down, or at least learn to manage it. Otherwise, you just bring it with you into every new relationship. Sure, a fantastic new romance feels wonderful, and may make you happy temporarily, but it cannot erase everything else.
Related: The First Date