Dating is a complicated adult game. One moment you are saving their number with something cheesy like “My Heartbeat” and the next you’re dropping motivational tweets all over the timeline because you realized your supposed heartbeat is actually a shared ventilator. You need all the advice you can get. We asked 8 Nigerians what the best dating advice they know is and they dropped us some gems.
Dum, 31 – “Don’t ever disrespect your partner”.
You need emotional intelligence in all you do. While dating just because you’re straight forward doesn’t mean you should be an ass hole. Time and place matter a lot. There are things you shouldn’t say just because you can, some things, many things are better left unsaid. Learn to tolerate and respect your partner. Don’t ever disrespect them. It kills one’s self-esteem.
Ivy, 23 – “You cannot coerce yourself into a relationship”.
If you are not ready to commit then don’t commit. You cannot coerce yourself into a relationship. You have as much right to define things as your partner does.
George, 27 – “Don’t date if you are not ready for commitment”.
Don’t date if you are not ready for commitment. I learned it from my 7 years of cumulative dating experience. If you are not ready for commitment, your relationship tends to have too many hands involved. And you know what they say about too many cooks. It has helped me set my relationship goals and be truthful to myself. Sometimes, it’s just sex you need, not a girlfriend. If so, go out there and get it and don’t put someone’s daughter in a position of loving a man who isn’t available.
Benji, 24 – “Talk about everything”.
Talk about everything. Be as transparent as possible with your partner
Abubakar, 31 – “Understanding is the lubricant of a relationship”.
There is way more to dating than love that most of us seem to be too busy investing in forgetting other parts. No one cares to understand a partner to the core. If only they know how far a relationship can go when there is understanding. Understanding is the lubricant of a relationship. It helps it navigate through every rust that lack of trust, nags, petty talks, arguments, ego et al brings. People should make serious efforts to understand their partners because it is upon it that a lasting relationship is really built.
Marycollette, 28 – “Don’t settle”.
A senior friend once told me that there are good guys who are broke and good guys who are comfortable. The same way they are terrible guys who are broke and terrible guys who are comfortable. This was a guide to telling me not to settle.
Omalicha, 29 – “Always listen to your instincts”.
The best dating advice I can offer anyone and most definitely myself is to ALWAYS LISTEN TO YOUR INSTINCT cause the brain has a way of letting you know that shit isn’t right but then you relegate it to the back because you don’t want it to be true
Rose, 25 – “Be with someone that respects you”.
I started dating at 19. He was an older guy, and he treated me with so much respect. When we parted ways, he said, “Rose, be with someone that respects you. Someone that understands you and allows you to be yourself.”
How about you? What’s the best dating advice you know?
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