Ten Commandments of Dating

Thou shalt place no other distractions before your date. Stay completely focussed on him/her, maintaining eye contact at all times, blocking out all else.

Thou shalt mimic his/her every subtle gesture to subliminally create a comfort level.

Thou shalt not intrude into intensely private territory (theirs or yours), past present or future.

Thou shalt not give unsolicited advice, nag, or criticize.

Thou shalt listen (intently) before talking. One never learned a whole lot by talking.

Thou shalt not interrupt, cut off, or change topics that mean a lot to your date but you find boring. Give him/her the courtesy to finish. It will tell you a lot more about them than the traditional direct, obvious, and often times threatening line of questioning.

Thou shalt bring out the best in each other, through a positive presence, genuine compliments (known for their ten-fold return whenever given), and masterful flirting which validates us in delicious ways. This is not the place to win through competition. Competing (as in - my story, accomplishment, or knowledge is better than yours) by its very nature leads us into looking for ways to view the other party as less than ourselves, yet we often use it foolishly to impress.

Thou shalt never put down or be hurtful to your date - jokingly or otherwise - observing the golden rule of treating as you'd like to be treated.

Remember, when talking about others, if you can't say something good, don't say anything at all. Both you and your date will like you better because of it. As well, your date won't have to worry about exposing their vulnerable selves to you, only to be talked down behind their back. As you are entitled to your opinions, let your date be entitled to theirs. Respect who they are, what they're about, and their space.

Rebecca Rosenblat (aka Dr. Date), sex therapist/advice columnist/published author is Toronto's hottest offering to the relationship and sexuality scene. Known for her to-the-point teaching and entertaining delivery, Rebecca gives her audiences what they crave, through her books, seminars, interviews, and advice columns. http://www.DrDating.com

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