10 Aug 2011

“The Rules” of Dating

Blake Lively Played By “The Rules” To Catch Leonardo Di Caprio” was the headline that snagged my attention today. Juxtaposed next to a picture of Blake Lively’s face was “The Rules” in book form – a book that I actually had not even heard of until today. I figured I had to learn more because I was curious about these rules. Are they rules that I subconsciously follow? Are some of the rules ones that I honestly follow today? The post lead me to the Wikipedia page which I assumed was just a shortened version of the book.

The rules I found to be the most interesting were:

4. Don’t meet him halfway or go dutch on a date

7. Don’t accept a Saturday night date after Wednesday

20. Be honest, but mysterious

23. Don’t date a married man – – Can we extend this to don’t date a man already dating someone else slash don’t be a hussy.

26. Even if you’re engaged or married, you still need the rules

As I read down the rules, I found myself nodding in agreement for some of them, but the farther I went down the more skeptical I became. Are these rules really “the game” in disguise? I’m all for playing a little hard to get, but if you have to continue this act throughout your engagement and marriage, won’t you just exhaust yourself? Also, when dating, I’ve heard that guys actually like it when girls at least attempt to pay for at least their portion. Personally, I think it’s polite and it’s a nice gesture even if in the end you know the guy will end up paying.

So I’m curious…

Women – Are you following these rules? Do you have your own set of rules?

Men – What are your reactions to this type of behavior?

Source

Posted on August 10, in -