There is a great responsibility at the first date with someone new. Perhaps this will be the day you will tell your friends about? Perhaps this is the beginning of a great friendship ... or something more? Often the pressure to make a good first impression generates enormous stress. And under stress, we say and do something that we would not normally. It's a recipe for disaster!

 

Dating savoir-vivre partly overlaps with the rules that govern ordinary conversations. Below is a list of taboo dating topics. Don't talk on them with a newly-met person!

 

My previous partner ...

Regardless of whether you previous partners were ideal, or maybe the opposite, leave conversations about the past for later. If you are still emotionally involved in your past relationship - you may not be ready for a new one yet.

 

I am not fit for relationships because ...

A date is not a therapy. The other person has come to spend time with you and get to know you better. Leave discussing your problems for coffee with a friend or for meetings with a specialist.

 

How much do you earn?

Work is an important part of our lives and we do not intend to insist otherwise. However, do not ask about earnings and do not talk about yours. You can ask the question "what do you do?" - it gives you some picture of the financial situation of the other person, without putting you in a bad light as a nosy and greedy person.

 

I'm suffering from ...

Health is another taboo topic during date conversations, especially with newly met people. Your date is not your doctor - you can really spare him information about your medications, chronic diseases or the treatments you have undergone.

 

My friend...

Private matters should remain private. Also if these are matters of your loved ones. Of course, you don't have to treat your friends as a taboo subject! Just do not talk about what they would like to keep secret or what they are simply ashamed of.

 

To sum up, on your first date, try to talk about light, casual topics, without touching difficult, sensitive or overly private issues. If this seems like an impossible task - see our list "What to talk to someone you don't know about?"