Dating myth or reality? – Men should pay dinner on the first date

Last Update : March 1, 2017

When dreaming about the perfect date you picture yourself having a spectacular evening with an interesting guy/girl who in time may become someone special.

If the date goes according to plan, the conversation should be amazing, the food delicious and there should be some sparks between you two.

However, on every date there is always an uncomfortable moment, when the soiree is coming to an end, that can say a lot about the person who is sitting in front of you. Who should be the one taking care of the bill? Is it the guy? Is it the girl? Should it be split?

The Dating hypothesis: men are expected to pay dinner on the first date

The dating game may have changed over the years, but there are certain norms that still are up for interpretation. The eternal debate on who should pay the bill still is today on the table.

Many singles today still taking into consideration the old-school dating etiquette.

The American personal finance website NerdWallet conducted a survey in 2014 where 1,000 individuals were asked about their dating habits and the site found out that an astonishing 77% still believed that men should act as gentleman and take responsibility for the note on a first date.

Men’s perspective

Gender roles have changed over the years and it has also influenced the dating scene.

Nowadays, single women have become financially independent and are the ones in control of their romantic life.

Nevertheless, some single men still prefer to go for traditional dating roles and end up picking up the cheque. According to many relationship experts, this is not something to do with maintaining old stereotypes, but it is more a question of politeness.

Other single men prefer to go for the modern way of dating and treat their partner as equal. They firmly believe that sharing the bill with their female counterpart is the fairest option.

In the end, it is all about personal convictions and how the date goes.

Women’s perspective

Nowadays, most single women seek for gender equality and go against traditional dating stereotypes.

Females aspire to find a courteous man, but what defines a real gentleman is not precisely the fact that he should be the one paying everything on a first date.

Many modern single women find unacceptable to expect their date to take care of the bill and feel more comfortable dividing it.

Dating myth or reality?

It is obvious that, nowadays, gender roles are completely different from the ones from years ago, but the discussion on who should pay the bill on a first date is still today one the most polemical debates.

It is true that many singles believe that inviting your date is a sign of politeness and courtesy, but everyday there are more men and women who think that the best option is to share the bill.

As the discussion continues and the tendency about gender equality in the dating universe grows, it seems that the previous norm saying that only men should be responsible for paying the dinner on a first date it is becoming a dating myth!