Much like the search for a dream job, finding the ideal partner is often a fierce tug-of-war full of crashing and burning, trial and error. Dating experiences are as varied as people themselves.

Often the hardest step really is the first one: putting yourself out there and hoping you'll actually run into another person who shares the same page you're on. For a new generation of experience-driven millennials, though, connecting offline can be far more awkward than meeting through a dating app or an online site. So how do you have good dating experiences?

Dating experiences

Dating experiences - Choose kindness over winning arguments

Being right is fantastic, but if your top priority is winning every argument, the only things keeping you warm at night are the radiant glow of your correctness and the blankets you don't have to share because you now sleep alone. No matter how intellectually superior or passionate you are about a particular topic, if you occasionally let your love interest say ex-presso or misidentify a few Civil War generals, it will serve you better in the long run. If you constantly start things - and insist on winning - your battles won't get anyone to change their mind, they'll just make them hate you. To have good dating experiences, you're better off choosing kindness over winning.

Dating experiences - Listen up

Tilting your head to the side and doing your best impression of the RCA dog isn't enough for the modern women out there. These days, listening means equal parts ears and actually caring about the person you lend them to. If you want good dating experiences, work hard at being a good listener. Actively, no matter how boring you may find it at first. Here are some tips to help you be a good listener:

Dating experiences
  • Listen to learn, not to be polite.
  • Remember: listening is a win-win situation.
  • Ask more questions.
  • Repeat back what you heard.
  • Wait until someone has finished before you respond.

Respect existing relationships

Your partner's friends were there long before you and probably won't be going away any time soon. Your partner's friends are unlikely to be actively trying to break you up. As long as they aren't completely monopolizing your boo's time, using them, or otherwise working to ruin your partner's life, you have to live and let live. Despite all the serious pants-feelings you have for your lady or your guy, most of their friends are unlikely to share the same taste. For good dating experiences, we strongly recommend respecting your partner's existing relationships.