There are really two major types of blind dates. The first type is when the parties have not only never actually seen each other, but have never talked, nor have they as much as shared an email. This is really going in blind. There is concern not only over the obvious physical appearance issue, but also about the character and intelligence level of the potential date. Quite obviously, the chance that the date might turn out to be a total disaster is very high.

In the other type of blind date, it is only physical appearance that is in question. It is surprising how much one can learn with a simple phone call, or an evening in chat or instant messenger with a potential date. The idea is that the more you learn of a person's heart, soul, and mind, the less important his physical appearance becomes. In a sense, you have really met the person, but now you are going to see the package in which they are wrapped.

Most likely, the odds of a successful blind date are going to be in proportion to the degree that physical appearance is of importance. The success of the date is going to depend very much on the first impression.

It is an adverse reaction to one's appearance that could make that first impression negative. It may be that people who obsess on appearance would do better in dates where a little less “blind” was involved.

However, if you have a bit more depth to your evaluation process, and are willing to find out what is inside a person before you decide if you like them, then blind dates should hold little terror. The trick is to let your expectations stay a bit low, and then you have a chance of hitting the jackpot, without taking too much risk. It might be a good idea to pay a bit more attention to your own appearance prior to the date. You can't really be all that sure the other party is going to be as open minded as you.