Internet dating: was it something I said?

• They talk about cats, self-help books and soap operas; to men, this is dull and may indicate the beginnings of insanity.
• They talk about past relationships; the ultimate turn-off.
• They dress either dress too sluttily, or turn up disguised as Margaret Thatcher.
• They boast about their highly paid jobs and salaries; this can make less well-paid men feel small, helpless and angry.
• They get drunk and emotional.
• They sometimes expect sex on the first date, which can leave men feeling ‘used’.
• They talk about marriage, families and babies precipitously; men like to feel that marriage is their idea, even if it is plainly not.
• They give mixed messages; if you like a man, say do, if you don’t, politely disappear.

Angus Watson