Taboo Topics To Avoid On A First Date

Dating Tips | June 6, 2016

First dates are nerve wracking, especially in this day and age where most things don’t happen organically anymore, can be nerve wracking. What do I wear? What do I say? How should I sit? Many people spend so much time thinking about how they are going to impress, that they forget about the things they should avoid saying so they actually will impress.

Below are 5 taboo topics to avoid on a first date:

Past relationships.

Getting into past relationships is fine once you and the other person know each other, but delving into previous relationships can make the other person feel like they are merely the ghost of a previous relationship, or that they are being used to help you forget about someone.

Family drama.

We all have family drama, we all have problems with family members, aunts that won’t stop asking invasive questions, brother in laws that are trying to borrow money from us and most of us are empathetic to the universal nature of family issues. But too much complaining, not to mention oversharing, can make you seem a) overly critical and b) not self-aware on a first date.

Politics and religion.

If there are any two topics that are divisive and nature and will continue to be so until the end of time, they are these two. Chances that you are sitting across from someone who shares your viewpoints in their entirety are slim. Confine the conversation to topics that aren’t going to make your date feel like they are being judged for not conforming to what you think.

Unfamiliar people.

It’s fine to talk about someone you know if you are relaying a funny anecdote, but droning on about someone that your date has no context for can quickly turn boring and make you seem self-absorbed.

Money.

Talking about finances – either positively or negatively – with someone you don’t know is a great way to turn that person off. As is complaining about the price of something, if you are the one paying for that date. It makes the other person feel like you think they are a poor return on investment, or that your bank account is more valuable to you than their time.

First dates should be about the fun and excitement of meeting someone new and seeing if there is enough chemistry between you to pursue a second date. As long as the conversation is flowing and both parties are having a good time, virtually nothing should really be off limits, but the above five topics are safest when avoided.