Many of us have been there: the super-awkward first date that lasts waaay too long, or the speed dating session that ends with you throwing your hands in the air thinking “why did I sign up for this?” Here’s the good news: sex columnist Gabi Conti, who writes for Cosmopolitan, thinks she’s found a formula for the “ideal length” of a first date to avoid these issues!
As laid out by Gabi in a thoroughly-reasoned article on Cosmopolitan.com, the ideal length for a first date is… Drumroll please… 57 MINUTES.
“Yes, I'm literally telling you to set your phone's timer,” Gabi writes!
Here are a few of her reasons for thinking this.
- First dates are for gauging interest. You really don’t need more than an hour to judge whether you find someone attractive and/or interesting!
- This “rule” gives you an “easy out” if ever the date isn’t going your way. You can let the other person know about your “first date rule” in advance and duck out after less than an hour if it’s disappointing…
- If the date goes well, you’ll be building anticipation for an AMAZING second date.
This is by no means a scientific study… But Gabi might be onto something here! Her personal experience with this “rule” is encouraging: “I followed my 57-minute-first-date rule for an entire summer,” she writes. “I didn't dread going on first dates anymore; I had a schedule again,” which sounds SO liberating!
Besides, she ended up meeting someone she is still dating today, and… YEP, she ended that first date after just 57 minutes.
Food for thought!
