5. Keep It Light

Not to be Captain Obvious here, but it is your first date with this person. Initiating a conversation about Palestine (does anybody for real know what's happening there? asking for a friend), or Camus' Absurdism or the pitfalls of modern society, can go downhill real quick. To put it another way, avoid topics which are heavy-duty or "deep". If this is your first proper interaction with the individual, there is no way to gauge what their opinions might be, or if they even find the topic remotely intriguing. So in order to avoid any mishaps, keep the conversation light, engage in playful banter and add a generous helping of humour.

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6. Ask Plenty Of Questions

The primary reason both of you are on a date together is so that you familiarise yourself with each other. You want to get to know them and understand their worldview. Thus, it stands to reason that you ask them plenty of relevant questions at appropriate junctures. Be careful while phrasing your questions. You want them to feel comfortable enough to open up to you instead of receding back into their own bubble. Lastly, do not ask random questions just for the sake of it.

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7. Express Interest In Their Stories

If you manage to ask all the right questions, chances are your date will soon be sharing about their life events relatively openly. Now, listen, the next part is VERY important. While your date is speaking, remember to APPEAR INTERESTED. Ask them follow-up questions, and give them cues to continue talking such as nudging questions or the nod of your head. Make sure your reactions are congruent to what your date is expressing. For instance, do not start laughing hysterically when your date is talking about his/her dead dog. In addition to coming off as rude and insensitive, you will likely end up on their "I would rather slowly burn to death than talk to this person again" list.

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8. Do Not Be Intrusive

If your date chooses to refrain from elaborating on a particular thing he/she happened to mention or refuses to answer your question on the grounds that he/she doesn't want to, leave it be. Do not let your curiosity get the best of you and end up making your date uncomfortable. Do not prod into his/her personal matters (especially if they clearly don't like it) or act nosey. Don't try to manipulate them into revealing more information than what they are willing to share. And for the sake of the sanity of everybody involved, do NOT tell them "I shared my story na, you also have to now" *crazy eyes*

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9. Do NOT Over-Share

When talking about yourself, avoid going over-board and divulging personal information. This is a person you are going on a first date with and not someone offering free therapy. In addition, intimacy is a bit-by-bit process and not a goal you can achieve overnight. Match their sharing pace. If they open up about topic A, speak about your own experience with topic A instead on presenting them with a monologue on topic A, B, C and D.

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10. Avoid Controversial Topics

There are certain topics, which are bound to generate controversy and possibly lead to arguments. To gain an understanding of conversation topics you should steer clear of on the first date, check THIS out.

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11. Establish Common Ground

Opposites attract, but similarity establishes more intimate relationships. Shared interests, concerns, hobbies and goals set the stage for engaging discussions and resultant comfort. Try to examine the commonalities between the two of you. Are you both doting dog parents? Do you both dislike North-Indian food? Are you both eagerly waiting for the new season of that Netflix show? If the procured answer is positive, an entire world of new topics you can discuss will open up.

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12. Don't Forget Your Manners

Manners maketh man. Or woman, or person. Basically what I am trying to say is, be sure to treat the other person with courtesy and kindness, always. Never underestimate the power of a simple "Please", "Thank You", or "Excuse Me". You can be as goofy as you'd like to be but at the end of the day, be mindful of basic etiquettes. Dress appropriately, pause while talking, do NOT consistently use your phone during the date, and please, just please, shut your mouth while you chew.

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13. Don't Lie Or Engage In Boasting

Yeah, I know you want to impress your date. We wouldn't be here otherwise, would we? However, during your ambitious endeavours to make a good impression, it is important to be mindful of one little thing...REALITY! Do not create outrageously (or even moderately for that matter) fabricated stories related to the things you do, own or know. This includes people (yeah, no "tu jaanta nahi hai mera baap kaun hai" moments). Nobody likes arrogance, especially when it is feigned.

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14. Don't Start Competing

If your date is telling you about the craziest thing he/she has ever done, or the European country they backpacked through, do not view it as a challenge. It is not, I repeat, it is NOT an invitation for you to one-up them. You don't have to interject to talk about how you have gone to much more places or done way wilder things. Instead of being dazzled by your worldliness, they are likely to feel insecure about the implied insufficiency of their own experiences. And that's not a feeling anybody wants to experience recurrently. Let alone at the hands of their prospective beau. In other words, you can say goodbye to the chances of a second date.

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15. Avoid Complaining Too Much

Nobody likes a whiner. If your date asks you about your job, that is not an opportunity for you to unload years of pent up frustration and drone on about how much you hate your boss. Don't be the person who nitpicks over every single element in their immediate environment, starting from how the temperature is set too low and stretching beyond the dreaded texture of the napkin you are holding. Broadly speaking, most people tend to be drawn to those who are vibrant and content. By complaining too much you might present yourself as an extremely critical person, which can potentially scare your date away.

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16. Display Contagious Optimism

Speaking of keeping unnecessary negativity at bay, I would recommend for you to embody and project cheery optimism. Yes, even if you feel like there are some metaphorical dark clouds looming over your head. Speak positively about the place you are at. Tell your date that you are glad they could take out time to meet you. Even if there is a mishap, for instance, your waiter brings you the wrong kind of pizza, brush it off by saying something like, "Hey, this one has mushrooms! I love mushrooms!" When you project yourself as someone who is capable of looking at the positive side of things, trust me, you are kicking up your attractiveness level by a few notches.

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17. Think Twice Before Engaging In Self-deprecating/ Dark/ Nihilistic Humour

Our generation is particularly infamous for a dark sense of humour. If someone tells us that they want to die, instead of expressing concern for their well-being, we tend to reply with a prompt "same". Some of us have also mastered the art of self-deprecating humour, i.e, cracking jokes at the cost of our own self. I get it, we are progressively realising that the world is a bleary, dark place and humour is the most legal way of coping with this knowledge. However, not everybody has a penchant for macabre humour and your date might just fall in this category. Your obscure jokes may be viewed as suicidal ideation and your self-deprecating humour may be thought of as stemming from poor self-esteem. So, yeah. If your date tells you that you are looking well, fight off the urge to reply with, "thanks, its the depression!"

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18. Be Mindful Of Body Language

If you are aiming for the perfect date, you might need more than just mere words to convey how psyched you are. Our body language relays a number of cues, which in turn communicate our prevailing feelings. If you are inconsistent with your non-verbal cues, your date might have a hard time figuring out if you are into him/her or just really enamoured by the pizza. Although certain physical movements will be largely based on your instincts, some ways in which you can project your enthusiasm include continually leaning in towards your date, keeping your body aligned and facing them, avoiding negative micro-expressions, gesticulating actively and smiling warmly.

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