The following article is a guest post, courtesy of Lily Rudolph

Have you ever returned home from a date feeling on top of the world only to find yourself lying awake hours later, obsessing over every little detail?
When she offered me gum was she trying to tell me that I had bad breath?
It has been two days and he still hasn’t called.  Should I call him?  Would that seem desperate?  Did I say the wrong thing.  Am I going to be single for the rest of my life?!

This kind of obsession will fill you with anxiety and ultimately lead you to your dating demise.
That’s why last week we released a survey asking 2,000+ participants ten questions aimed at decoding your dating signals.
Guess what? The results were unanimous across age and gender lines.  Our Reading Dating Signals survey could have easily been retitled The Art of Taking Things at Face Value, or more specifically, STOP OVER ANALYZING AND TRY TO HAVE A GOOD TIME.
Here are some highlights from the survey: Universal Truths About Dating
1. It doesn’t matter who makes the first move as long as somebody does it.

2. Playing with your phone during a date is a sign of boredom.  If your date is playing with their phone do something interesting or just give up.

3. If the person that you like responds to your texts right away it means that they are more interested in you than if they take more time to respond.  Of course, this is with the exception of hippie dippy care-free people who aren’t always glued to their cellphone.  If the person you like is this type you shouldn’t take offense to their text lag.
  
4. Paying
Guys pay because they are expected to, it doesn’t distinguish weather he likes you or not.  A woman is NOT more likely to sleep with a guy because he pays on a date.  Interestingly enough, when we asked “What if he spends over $100?”  the percentage of women who said that they would be more likely to have sex actually went down!

5.  Don’t obsess!
If your date makes plans with you at the last minute, you are not a backup plan, and who cares if you are?  They want to see you.
If your date asks you out to coffee rather than a drink it doesn’t mean anything special.  All it means is that they want to see you.

Conclusion
Our dating tips can be summed up into one single word of wisdom: RELAX.  Don’t worry about little things like your date insisting on paying the check, preferring texting over talking on the phone, or offering you gum on the ride home.  Focus on the big picture: how does your date make you feel?  The point is to have fun and show your positive side.  If it works out great.  If it doesn’t, find another Bagel.  Now stop over analyzing and try to have a good time.
Note: I would like to take a moment to apologize to our gay members for the straight nature of the survey. We will definitely be more careful next time!

About Coffee Meets Bagel (CMB): CMB  is a free dating service that helps members make meaningful connections. It’s designed for busy singles who want to find something real with little or no effort.