Finding enough things to talk about on a date to last you through an entire first date can be a major challenge – especially if you don’t know your date particularly well.
Awkward silences can ensue; stiff small talk and you can feel like anything but your usual self. However, there’s no reason why you can’t have a lively and conversational first date, no matter how well or little you know your date.
To help yourself out, consider discussing these conversation topics and first date questions:
1. Discuss Jobs and Education
This should be the most obvious starting point – where did your date go to school and what’s his or hers current job? There’s no reason why you should have to list one another’s entire resumes but you can talk a bit about your career, why you chose it and what you studied in school. Discussing something as neutral and matter of fact as jobs and education can definitely start to get the ball rolling conversation wise. This is a good conversation topic because it can branch off easily to other areas and it gives you a sense of who they are.
2. Ask About Their Local Area
A great next question to ask on a date is about areas that you both live in. While this may sound mundane it can be a great way to find out if you enjoy going to similar places and are familiar with one another’s neighborhoods. Absolutely don’t give out your address on a first date, but be willing to talk a little about the area you live in and what you like about it. If you find that you go to the same places this could help to establish some initial rapport, which in turn should make you feel more comfortable to talk about less small-talkish subjects and go on to deeper conversation topics.
3. Discuss One Another’s Hobbies
This may seem like an obvious one but you’d be amazed by how many people forgot to ask their date what their interests and hobbies are. People generally like to talk about themselves, so let your date really expand on their interests and hobbies and take some time to really listen to what they have to say. Hobbies and interests can reveal a lot about someone, so be sure to cover these essential first date topics.
4. Ask About Friends
The chances are your date has a friend or two, so inquire a little about them and how often they see each other. This should reveal not only how sociable your date is but also how much he or she values friendships. Furthermore, you can ask what he or she likes to do with their friends. This is a good question to ask on a first date because it could also help fuel you with good second date ideas.
5. Talk About Food and Drink
If you’re on a first date, you’re probably at somewhere that serves food, making food and drink a great conversation talking point. Inquire what he or she likes to eat, if they look to cook and then mention the type of food and drink you enjoy. Perhaps you will find similarities here that can help you feel like you have more in common or your differences can inspire some friendly banter.
6. Inquire About Family
We all have some kind of family, so don’t forget to inquire about his or hers. You don’t need to overly focus on family for first date conversation but it’s still important to ask if they have siblings and what kind of a relationship they have with their parents. Sharing similar family values and relationships is important for any relationship and it’s therefore best to find out about the kind of family relationships they have from the get go.
7. Talk About How You Met
How you met is a great conversation ice breaker for first date topics. Talk about the back story behind you meeting one another. Was there some kind of coincidence behind it? Or a funny story that led up to it? Perhaps you met through an online dating site – then you can ask what their experience has been with online dating so far. Or if you met at a class or at the gym you can discuss how you find those activities and take the conversation from there.
8. Favorite Movies and Television Shows
Favorite movies and television shows are an easy but effective conversation topic and if you find a show or movie that you both love this should provide you with plenty to talk about. This can also lead to funny first date questions. Just don’t be too disheartened if you find that you’re movie and TV tastes vastly differ, as you know what they say – opposites attract!
9. Talk About Where You Like to Travel and Why
Most of us enjoy travelling and have many travel memories worth sharing, so absolutely be prepared to discuss and share each other’s travel stories. Even if your date hasn’t travelled much ask him or her where they would like to go one day and why and this should make for a great conversation.
10. Ask About Long Term Goals
Asking your date about their long term goals shouldn’t sound like a job interview question but rather a genuine question inquiring about their future hopes and dreams. Their answer should expose what they’re really looking for both in life and in a relationship and you can use this answer to help you evaluate whether a second date should be on the cards.
All first dates have a certain element of awkwardness to them, but you can make the experience a little easier for yourself and your date by factoring in the above conversation starters into your date. Good luck!