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[F315]First Date Conversation Starters

by Roman Zazulak, Rom

One of the things that many singles have difficulty with is talking with a new person or going out on a first date. Whether it is chatting with someone that you met online or going on a blind date, these experiences can sometimes be uncomfortable and stressful. Here are some tips on first date ideas, as well as starting a conversation up and keeping it going.

First Date Ideas
For most people, the goal of a first date is to meet a person and to figure out if you are either interested or compatible with that person. While a first date doesn't have to be a perfect 10 to know that there can be something in the future with this person, most people just want it to go positively.

One of the best places to go for a first date is to a coffee shop. Coffee shops are great, because you can sit and talk to one another. You won't get to know each other sitting in a darkened movie theater staring at a screen for two hours. Coffee shops are usually made for conversation; they are affordable for singles on a budget and located in convenient locations. Plus you can meet during the evening or even schedule a lunch date.

If you find that you are not that sociable or pretty quiet when you date, you might want to set up a date where you both do an activity. First dates such as bowling, rollerblading or ice skating are a great way to meet someone new and if the conversation slows down, you can focus on your activity. You can take this idea one step further and instead of doing an athletic based activity, you can choose a cultural activity, such as an exhibition, visiting a museum or enjoying a live musical performance.

Ultimately, your goal is to figure out if you enjoy this person's company, so choose dates that fit your style and personality, while also giving you an opportunity to get to know someone new.

Conversation Starters
Let's face it; it can be very difficult to start a conversation with someone that you don't know at all or very well. While there are people that are experts and can make friends with anyone, most people usually find themselves tongue tied or speechless at certain moments. One of the ways to avoid this obstacle is to remember common and easy to use conversation starters.

First off, conversations starters are not closed ended sentences that require no input from the other person; they are open ended questions or statements that invite the other person to share their thoughts. You don't have to ask very smart questions, you can just engage in small comfortable chit chat that gets you both talking, eventually, this small chit chat will lead to a more meaningful and interesting conversation. Some of the most common conversation starts are; how was your weekend? Have you been to a specific place before (the restaurant or coffee shop that you are at)? What area are you from originally? W school or college did you attend? You can also talk about movies, music, favorite television shows, etc. The goal is to relax and feel comfortable conversing with the other person, once relaxed and comfortable, the conversation will usually flow.

The most dreaded thing during first dates, aside from choosing what top would go best with which pants, is what to say on your first real eye-to-eye conversation. You can't really help it when you turn all giddy on first dates – it's a natural thing.

There's only one rule to first date conversations – don't make a fool of yourself. Stop being overly anxious and suppress all signs of nervousness – appear relaxed, confident and at ease. Get the thought of rejection out of your head and avoid negative speculations. Think good thoughts, this can also help you exude a positive aura that always adds charm to your personality.

Silence can be your worst enemy on first dates, it makes me cringe just thinking about it. It can make one jump into the brink of nervousness and say things that you wish you hadn't said. If you think the conversation will lead to some dead air, you can make little distractions like slowly sipping your drink. This would give you those precious split seconds to think of something creative to say to keep the conversation flowing smoothly.

There are a number of great subjects that can jumpstart a conversation. Make a quick observation of the person you are dating – if she's the intellectual type, current events can be a good topic to start with. Talk about your present jobs and how happy or discontented you are with your career. Along that line you can also talk about your past schools and funny experiences you might want to share. Ask your date about her hobbies and what interests her. Always add some comments or a follow-up question to keep the conversation moving forward.

Those popular “what's-your-favorite?” questions shouldn't be missed. You can really get to know a person's personal taste with this type of question. Since everyone generally loves traveling, you can also talk about your past leisure trips and some of the vacation spots you fancy – of course, your date would share his or her own thoughts of a dream holiday as well, and who knows, you might even end up having a vacation together.

One can tell a good date from a bad date on the basis of how the conversation on your first date went. Be prepared and have a mental list of the possible things you can talk about. The key to a successful first date is to be yourself – and as long as you can do that, everything else will follow.

Article Source : First Date

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Both Roman Zazulak & Ron Zvagelsky are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Roman Zazulak has sinced written about articles on various topics from First Date, Online Dating. In his quest for finding the perfect wife, Roman tried every method imaginable until he finally got married to Gigi in 2004. For more information about online dating please visit. Roman Zazulak's top article generates over 12100 views. to your Favourites.

Ron Zvagelsky has sinced written about articles on various topics from Tattoo, Flirting Tips and Dating and Romance. Ron Zvagelsky has a degree in Business Administration from the University of Southern California. He graduated Magna Cum Laude in May 2006. He is currently the Chief Executive Officer of PlanJam -- a new interactive planning website for. Ron Zvagelsky's top article generates over 135000 views. to your Favourites.