Here’s The Secret To The Perfect First Date, According To Science

Read this before you swipe right…

GettyImages-160993077111.jpg

(Photo: Getty)

Considering the amount of people using dating apps, it would appear as though first dates aren’t going too well for a lot of folks. Some of us (me) have even gone on three first dates in the last week. Like I said, not going too well.

Well, fret not, because thanks to science, we now know exactly what the perfect first date is, so that we can go on them and be successful in our endeavors.

According to the Singles In America survey by Match, the best first date you could ever hope to go on is to a bar and have a few drinks, ideally over the course of two hours. That exact formula, my friends, is apparently the secret to landing a second date.

Why, you ask? “By having a mixed drink, you’re going to end up being more social, more talkative, and showing more of who you are,” says biological anthropologist Helen Fisher, suggesting a little bit of liquid courage can seriously up your charm factor. But of course we already knew that.

Plus, meeting up for just drinks can hardly be called a commitment, so it wouldn’t be rude to get up and leave after your first beer if you realize your date kind of sucks. “The first date really should be just for cocktails, because you really shouldn’t invest a lot of money or time. It’s a look-see,” Fisher says.

Fisher also believes that a drinks-only date “is extremely well built to assemble data about a potential partner,” because you get to low-key judge your potential bae between rounds. 

For example, is she nice to the bartender? A little too nice? Sweet, she’s a doctor. But how does she not know what an Old Fashioned is? What are the odds that we’re going to actually make out at the bar? Things like that.

However, it’s best not to drink too much, obviously, or you else you might end up doing something embarrassing, like shamefully oversharing about your ex, or going back to her place for extra-sloppy first-date Tinder sex. And we all know that usually isn’t very satisfying.

That said, heed Fisher’s advice—skip that dinner-and-a-movie and opt for happy hour drink-up instead, because 1) you don’t know if you’re going to like her enough for a four-hour date, and 2) booze.

Share: 
Tags: