What Men Think When You Bring Up An Ex

There are certain things you just shouldn't do on a first date, like attend a three-hour self-help seminar, enter a burrito-eating contest or get a tattoo with your date's name on it. Another item to add to the list? Talking about your ex. Lemondrop: How to Prevent a First-Date Trainwreck

As far as dating etiquette goes, chatting about your former flame ranks pretty high on the list of no-nos. In fact, doing so flies in the face of good manners, which, in a nutshell, require you to act in a respectful way toward others so that they, in turn, respect you. Lemondrop: Three Common Dating Dealbreakers—What's Yours?

Besides, bringing up the ex on your first outing with someone new is really a no-win situation. If you trash the ex, you end up sounding like a woman scorned—or just a flat-out jerk. If you wax poetic about the Ghost of Boyfriends Past, you sound like you're still in love with one or more of them. Let's take a closer look. Lemondrop: You Don't Like Him—So Why'd You Agree To Go Out Again?

Read the rest on Lemondrop. 

• The Perils Of Dating....When You're A Dating Expert
• Reader Advice—How To Get Over Your Ex
• Esquire's Woman Survey Reveals—What Men Want To Know About Women

Written by Liz Scott for Lemondrop.