Best and Worst First Date Topics

Ah, the first date — feared for its potential for long awkward silences and uncomfortable subject matter. First dates don’t have to be a drag. Keep the conversation light and you’ll have plenty to talk about. Dan Abelon of SpeedDate.com gave GAL Time his top five first date topics. For kicks, he also provided the five worst topics to discuss on a first date. Check out some of our favorites from each list. Best Topics: Future Goals and Dreams Asking about future dreams and goals is a great way to get a conversation moving and at the same time uncover a great deal of information about potential compatibility. After discovering that his dream of working a hotdog stand in the winter to fund his summer surfing habits may in fact be extremely interesting — you may opt to immediately place him in the friendship (rather than relationship) category. Travel Unless reminiscing about past spring break conquests, travel is always a safe and interesting topic for a first date. Try to pick out little anecdotes that go along with a past journey that will further deepen the conversation — like a fabulous restaurant you discovered by talking with the locals. Favorite Things Favorite things such as actors, movies and music is always a sure bet. Remember to ask direct questions such as, “Who is your favorite actor?” rather than, “What actors do you like?” By narrowing it down, your date can focus in on some of the qualities that make his pick a favorite, giving you a bigger picture into his likes and dislikes. Worst Topics: The Day Job For most of us, work consumes eight hours of our daily life, but it doesn’t define who we are. Shop talk often evolves into discussions about office politics and interpersonal issues, which is negative and always a complete turnoff. Money Money or financial topics should be left at home. Questions like “How much do you make?” or “What type of car do you drive?” are not only rude in any social situation but will definitely derail the date before it has a chance to get on track. The Ex Having a terrible time and want to end the date quick? Just talk about your past relationships. Having a wonderful time and want to keep the relationship going? Then keep quiet. Talking about a former boyfriend, no matter in what context, shows your date that the past is still with you. Read the full list on Yahoo Shine.