Things to avoid doing (dating & courtship)

 

Don't come off as being especially focused on / into the person you're with

  • Examples:
      • We started making out. She looked at me with eyes that were a little too hungry.

        "I've wanted to suck those lips all year," she said.

        Ew. I'd wanted to do things to her too, but I was 18, and I had those sorts of thoughts about pretty much every girl I glanced at. The singular focus of that comment threw me off a bit as we settled down onto the couch.

        • It should be noted that this guy comes off as a jerk in the article, so this just may be another example of him being a jerk.

 

Don't lose control of the situation / have a better BATNA

  • Examples
    • 2015.01.26 - VICE - I Slept with My High School Teacher, and It Sucked
      • I guess I got drunk on the sudden shift of the power dynamic, and started to test the boundaries of what I could get away with. I started casually picking up DVDs and books.

        "Hmmm. This looks really interesting. I always wanted to read this."

        She bit.

        "Why don't I get those for you?"

        "Oh really? That's so nice of you. You sure?"

        She knew it wasn't really up for discussion, but we both went through the motions, acting like this was some cute act of generosity and not me subtly blackmailing her for a couple Aqua Teen Hunger Force DVDs and Gravity's Rainbow.