15 Women Share Their Biggest Dating Mistakes And What They Learned

1. Bringing up the ex.

“I think my biggest mistake was that I talked a lot about my ex-boyfriend. I was in a relationship for four years and I used to share more details than I should which gave them the impression that I wasn’t over my ex but I was just being honest.”
~ Anna, 27

2. Waiting.

“My biggest mistake was waiting for the guy to make a decision about whether or not he wants to be exclusive. After spending a certain amount of time together, he should define where you two stand, but waiting is only a waste of time because if he was really interested, he would’ve made things official at one point.”
~ Jenny, 28

3. Being too picky

“I was too picky. If he didn’t make a certain amount of money, or dressed in a certain way, I would automatically check him off. Now I know not to follow a check-list and just follow my heart.”
~ Alessandra, 27

4. Falling for the bad boy.

“I always fall for the bad boy thinking that he will change. It’s naive to go into a relationship thinking you are going to change someone. Just don’t.”
~ Nina, 29

5. Talking about myself.

“I think my biggest mistake was that I used to make the conversation about me and end up knowing nothing about him. I am a passionate woman and I love talking about my work and my life, but I learned now to keep the conversation balanced and listen more than speak.”
~ Sara, 26

6. Thinking he’s the one right away.

“I am a hopeless romantic, so any time I really like a guy I think he is the one and this is it. Of course this mentality made me ignore all the warning signs. It’s better to just take it one step at a time instead of jumping to conclusions about whether or not he is the one.”
~ Melissa, 28

7. Playing too many games.

“I was a big fan of playing games, and keeping men on their toes. But it got boring after a while and I liked the game more than the guy.”
~ Amanda, 26

8. Too much alcohol.

“If you are still getting to know someone, don’t drink heavily on your first date. I did this before and I was a mess and couldn’t even hold a proper conversation. I remember I pushed a good man away because of my drinking habits. Too much alcohol ruins good conversations and relationships.”
~ Megan, 27

9. Investigating.

“I used to ask a lot of his friends about him so I can know what I am getting myself into, that was the biggest mistake, everyone had contradicting opinions and no one really knew what they were talking about. I now keep everything to myself until I’ve gotten a chance to really know him.”
~ Suzie, 29

10. Tinder.

“I know it worked for a lot of people but it never worked for me. I am not against online dating but a lot of the guys on tinder are not looking for anything serious. So it was really a waste of time.”
~ Rachel, 26

11. Not knowing what I want.

“I honestly dated just for the sake of dating, I didn’t really know what I want or what to look for, which made me stay in relationships that were wrong for me. It’s always better to know yourself and what you want first before dating someone else.”
~ Marie, 28

12. Snooping is never a good idea.

“If you really like someone, DO NOT STALK them. It never ends well and it will make you think of scenarios that are not even there. Just believe that he is being true to you without having to dig for information that you don’t need to know.”
~ Lindsey, 25

13. Accepting things that are not reasonable to me.

“I used to pretend I am fine with him being friends with his ex or fine with him having too many female friends, until I realized that I am lying to myself and that it really bothers me. The mask eventually drops and you will not be able to accept something you really don’t like or appreciate.”
~ Nicole, 24

14. Planning everything.

“I am type-A so I love everything planned. I was so obsessed with planning dates and trips that I left no room for spontaneity and there were times when I really couldn’t enjoy the relationship because I was too worried about my plans not working out. I learned to relax a little bit and not worry too much about having everything as planned and in the right order.”
~ Kim, 28

15. Sticking to one ‘type.’

“I always had a type (a bad one) that I found myself drawn to over and over again and the endings weren’t that much different. So I learned to be more open to other types that I might not be as drawn to at first. This whole thing about instant chemistry and the spark is very juvenile, real chemistry takes more than one date.”
~ Diana, 29.