The chilly wind that blows sharply after the Chuseok holiday makes singles feel even lonelier. For men and women planning a blind date in the autumn, the season for romance, let's first learn some ‘YES or NO’ tips to increase the success rate.
Marriage information company Gayoun conducted a survey from September 23 to October 6 on the topic, “What is your personal icebreaker conversation topic for a first blind date?” and gathered opinions from 254 unmarried men and women (123 men, 131 women).
The majority of unmarried men and women responded with ‘Complimenting the other person (35.8%)’. Appropriate and skillful compliments at a blind date help soften the awkward atmosphere.
A couple manager advised, “No matter how much you like the other person, on the first meeting, it is more effective to mention overall style, voice, or impression rather than blindly complimenting their appearance,” adding, “It is also a good method to naturally connect the strengths you find during the conversation to compliments.”
Next were ‘Talking about hobbies (26.8%)’, ‘Favorite food and movie preferences (18.1%)’, and ‘Travel stories such as favorite destinations (11.4%)’ in that order. It seems that creating specific conversation topics is considered important. Continuing the conversation naturally has the advantage of finding commonalities and building mutual empathy. Additionally, although the response rate was low, talking about ‘daily life after work or on weekends (7.9%)’ can also help with after-blind-date plans or scheduling the next meeting.
A Gayoun representative emphasized, “In a survey conducted in the first half of this year, ‘the biggest factor in deciding to have an after-blind-date meeting’ was ranked number one as ‘compatible conversation code,’” adding, “This shows that having good and fun conversations is an important factor that leads to romantic interest.”
On the other hand, there are taboo topics to avoid on the first meeting. In a survey conducted by Gayoun from August 28 to September 10 on “Topics to avoid in blind dates,” 225 unmarried men and women (108 men, 117 women) chose ‘Talking badly about ex-partners (37.8%)’ most frequently, followed by ‘Politics and religion (25.3%)’, ‘Past relationships (20%)’, and ‘Personal matters such as family and household (16.9%)’.
The company explained that asking about how many relationships someone had in the past or how they were, or excessively supporting or disparaging a particular political party or religion, can easily cause conflict, so caution is needed.
A Gayoun representative said, “Family or personal stories are parts that anyone can be curious about, but they can be sensitive topics for a first meeting conversation,” adding, “This is one of the reasons why singles who want to carefully get to know their partner seek out marriage information companies.”
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