Dating involves a lot of little things that nobody, including men, wants to overexplain, but that doesn’t stop them from wishing they’ll happen.
The little screen moment
It doesn’t look like much. A phone on the table seems like nothing, and most guys aren’t going to bring it up when they see one, even though it might annoy them. They don’t want to be ‘that guy.’ You know the one, the guy who says, ‘Are you texting someone?’ on the first date.
That’s why guys hope women won’t get their phone out on a date. It doesn’t matter that she might be texting work or doing something important, he’d rather she put it away. It makes the whole date feel a lot more comfortable.
The honest yes or no
Honesty is the best policy. That’s what most people, guys included, believe, and it’s why they’d like a woman to be honest with them on a date. No fake-smiling through stuff she doesn’t like. When a woman lies about what she likes, a guy’s forced to guess the truth.
That doesn’t mean she should sit there complaining about everything. Definitely not. But he’d appreciate it if she could say when she likes something and say when she doesn’t. It’s useful information.
The check pause
The moment when the bill arrives is awkward, even for men. A lot of them have no problem with paying for the whole date, and plenty of them are fine to split it, too. But what they really want? Clarity. That’s it, just a little bit of clarity over whether or not she wants him to pay.
Guys don’t want to deal with the awkwardness of what to do, especially when a single sentence could fix everything. ‘Do you want to split it?’ works wonders. So does, ‘Thanks, I’ve got the next one.’ Anything to save him from the weirdness of trying to work out what he should do.
The small wobble
The truth is, a lot of men are nervous on dates. They might seem like everything’s okay, sure, but they’re really running through a dozen ideas of what to say and hoping that it’s okay. They hope women on a date understand that.
They’re hoping that women recognize that, yes, he’s feeling nervous, but it doesn’t have to be a big thing or anything. He’s hoping she’ll brush off any awkward moments and admit that she’s a little nervous, too.
The easy translation
It’s true. Men aren’t exactly the best at reading hints. There are some that are, of course, but the majority of them are constantly worried that they’re getting things wrong. It’s why they’d like for women to be direct on a date and say what they want.
They’re not looking for grand romantic speeches. Just a few clear words that allow him to breathe, since he’s not having to work out what she’s thinking.Â
The two-person feeling
Dates tend to feel strange when there’s one person doing everything. One person paying attention and one person carrying the conversation, it’s not exactly fun. Guys hope that women will make it feel balanced instead.
They’re not going to openly admit it, though, because they don’t want to seem like they’re not capable of being a leader. They absolutely are. It’s just that they don’t want to be the one having to do everything during a date, so they want a woman to get involved, too.
The chosen-table feeling
The difference between showing up and being glad you showed up is pretty vast. Men notice it quite quickly, and although they might not talk about it directly, they recognize when a woman’s genuinely into the conversation. Guys hope that women act like they want to be on the date.
However, it’s not like they need a woman to confess her undying love for him or something. That’d make guys panic. They only want a woman to act like she chose to be there, instead of seeming like it’s a waste of time. Being invested matters, you know.
The little spark
It’s typical for guys to do a lot of flirting on a date and to start thinking that they’re overdoing it, or maybe not doing it enough. Was his joke funny? Did she understand the double meaning? That confusion is part of the reason why men hope that women will flirt back, even just a little.
It takes the pressure off. Guys don’t mind flirting or anything, but they’re hoping for some sort of give-and-take where she’s fine to flirt back with him. They don’t want to be the only ones doing it.
The strong-detail compliment
Being called handsome is always nice. Not every guy will admit that, but it’s true. What a lot of them also like is when a woman shows that she finds him masculine in some sort of way. Perhaps she sees how he speaks confidently and calmly.
She might also recognize that he walks on the streetside without saying anything, it doesn’t really matter, honestly. Guys secretly want a woman to notice their masculinity. They don’t want any weirdness around it, though.
The real order
It’s a boring date where a woman pretends she only eats lettuce and air. Men know that’s not what she really wants. The truth is, they don’t care whether she gets a burger and soup, along with dessert, because they really just want her to be comfortable.
They want a woman to order real food. It makes the date feel real, after all, and it also gives them something to talk about whenever there’s a lull in the conversation. You can’t exactly have an exciting discussion about a single French fry, can you?
The next little clue
The same thing happens at the end of most dates, and it involves guys doing the math in their heads about the whole thing. They’re wondering whether it went well. Would it be okay for him to directly ask her for another one, or would it be too much?
They don’t want to be the one always taking charge in that way. Men secretly hope that women will make it clear that they’re interested in a second date, rather than forcing him to do it all. It’d save him from being left guessing in the dark, for one.
The small reach
No guy wants to make it a big deal. It’s just that they want a woman to reach for their hand first so that they know where they stand, no awkwardness needed. A simple reach is all that it takes to feel relaxed.
It means that all the guesswork disappears, and he can chill out a little knowing that, yes, she is into him. Guys don’t want to be the ones doing the touching all the time.
The endless maybe
‘I don’t care.’ It’s a simple statement, but it gets tiring when a guy hears it all the time, though not because he wants her to plan everything. He’s fine organizing things. However, he wants her to do things sometimes, to be open about where she wants to sit or order.
He wants her to pick a few things sometimes and not leave it all up to him to do. Why? Because it means that the date actually has another person in it who’s actually involved. It’s a crazy thought.
The warmer kind
Every guy wants approval on a date, and every guy also wants a little more than that. Being seen as an acceptable man isn’t enough. No, guys want a woman to show that they want the guy, rather than simply approving of his presence.
Simple things, like leaning closer when he talks count, and so do laughing and staying in the moment. It doesn’t have to be anything too major. It’s just got to be enough that it’s more than polite approval.
Sources: Please see here for a complete listing of all sources that were consulted in the preparation of this article.
