Dating Rules

Rule #1: Chuck the rules. As Bridget Jones said:

“Whole dating world is like hideous game of bluff and double bluff with men and women firing at each other from opposite lines of sandbags. Is as if there is a set of rules that you are supposed to be sticking to, but no one knows what they are so everyone just makes up their own.”

Classic Bridget. Love it.

Basically, we set all these silly limits for ourselves, often refusing to do what, under normal circumstances, we would do without a second thought because–God forbid–we don’t want to break the rules. Really though, if it feels right don’t worry about the bloody rules; kiss someone on the first date if you want to, call someone before 24 hours has passed, date a friend’s ex, because frankly all is fair in love and war. (Cliche, I know, but oh so true!)

Sure you will get hurt, and I’m not saying you won’t make a total ass out of yourself because you called a girl too soon and suddenly she became much less interested. But if the chase is all she was after, is that really a bad thing? If someone likes you, they’ll likely be glad (or not care) that you broke the “rules,” and if that someone doesn’t, the only thing you’re doing is putting off the inevitable. All these so-called-rules do is delay the exposure of your true self, and if someone doesn’t like who you are, well I would think you would want to know that so you don’t waste any more time on him/her.

In short, the only thing you should follow in dating is your gut feeling. The dating realm is a strange one in which a strong, keen instinct is your best defense, not unlike playing poker with a bunch of people who’ve never played before and thus are completely unreadable. (Although I recommend being a bit more honest than you be would be during poker).