The First Date: Assessing His Boyfriend Potential
By Brian Rzepczynski. Posted on .
9. Does he place a lot of emphasis on sex during your time together? If so, this may be a priority for him and it'll be important to ensure what type of relationship he's seeking (casual sex or dating) so you can decide if this fits with your needs.
10. At the end of the date, how would you rate the experience and your interest on a scale from 1 to 10, 10 being the highest? Is there chemistry? Do you feel drawn to him on multiple levels?
More from YourTango: Intimacy Freak-Out & Gay Men: Part Two
Food For Thought
There are, of course, many other questions and criteria you may have, but these points may be a good starting point to launch from on a first date. There tend to be three types of personality styles that men can bring to a first date situation. One are those men who are on their best behavior to try to impress you, gain your approval, or please you to compensate for perceived weaknesses they have so they can "snag" another date from you.
Another type are those men who struggle with shyness, anxiety, and insecurity, so the behavior they display during the date may not actually be reflective of who they really are until they feel more comfortable. And then there are those who present their "real self", an accurate portrayal of who they really are. It may be helpful to keep this in mind when deciding about whether to transition into an exit or for an invitation for another date.
Knowing who you are and being clear on what you want is critical during your time in the dating pool. This knowledge will take you far in weeding out those men who may not be particularly good matches for you and will save you a lot of time, energy, and frustration. You may need several dates with someone to assess their potential and you may find during the process that some of these men may be more suitable as friends--another addition to your support network!
Thinking too much about these questions can be distracting, so try to avoid being "too much in your head" during the date. Analyzing and being too cognitive will take away from your date, causing you to miss certain cues during the interaction that would be important and lead you to not focus on being a good listener. Be fully present with your date and enjoy the experience, no matter how it turns out because you will have still learned something.
Additionally, try to turn the above questions back on yourself and assess how these factors apply to your style. These questions may provide clues about the areas of your life and personality that are strengths and weaknesses and can be a tool to help you develop goals for self-improvement to make yourself even more "dateable!" In a future newsletter, we'll examine additional questions and assessment guidelines to ponder as you begin to delve into a dating relationship with a man to determine life partner status potential, but in the meantime make sure you've crafted your relationship vision and plan and cheers to your dating success!
*References: Steele, David (2002). Relationship Coaching Institute and http://www.consciousdating.org
More from YourTango: Intimacy Freak-Out & Gay Men: Part One
© Dr. Brian L. Rzepczynski, The Gay Love Coach
