Should You Listen to Dating Advice From Friends?

There is no accounting for individual taste and one person’s dismal dating experience could be a match made in heaven for someone else.

Dating advice from friends is thus something that can be viewed as advantageous but don’t take it as gospel – you'll have to act on your own initiative when meeting someone new and during the process of getting acquainted.

Yes, you should listen to friends but you don’t necessarily have to act on their advice; it may not apply in your particular circumstances. Taking the time to discuss each other’s dating experiences can be highly amusing and makes for good conversation and it will also make you aware of certain personality types to avoid when dating but ultimately you have to make your own dating decisions and continue to meet the dates who you think are the most compatible.

Join a reputable Internet dating site and the chat rooms and forums there will allow you to share the opinions of people who are in much the same situation as yourself and you will be able to discuss aspects of meeting new people with a view to a mutually beneficial relationship.

You can be certain of an unbiased opinion from someone who doesn't know you who can view things from angles that would not occur to someone close to you. Friends (although they can be a great support) can often be more dominating and judgmental than you would ever imagine so the keen observations of someone who doesn’t know you can often be a refreshing change.

Here are some recommended sites for Internet dating;

Telegraph dating (UK)

e harmony (UK)

Plenty of fish (worldwide)

Whatever your age and whatever type of relationship you are looking for then don’t be disheartened if you have one bad date that doesn’t go as you expected. There is a world full of lonely people and many would be glad to know someone like you.As Donny and Marie Osmond once aptly sang: ‘There was a girl, there was a boy; if they had met they would have found a world of Joy.’

Above all when dating it is wise to listen to advice from friends concerning safety. Always meet in a public place during daylight hours for your first date and tell a close friend when you will be expected home. Be careful not to overdo the alcohol which can cause anyone to lose their inhibitions and act inappropriately, only to regret it the next day.

Dating nowadays is more complicated than it has ever been. With people’s expectations of others being so selective; it is hard to gauge how to conduct yourself in the presence of someone new. The only solution is to be yourself and not mould yourself into something others want you to be. Don't be lonely on Valentine’s Day; get a date that suits you - friends' advice or not.