Nothing can be compared to such a case scenario, the dream date you have been planning with your potential mate arrives, you meet over dinner or coffee, and after exchanging the pleasantries both parties run out of conversation. Ideas of what to say become completely vague to both parties. The rest of the date is then characterized by stretched out silences and thwarted conversation attempts, and by the end of the date you both know that you will never again attempt to meet or make up with each other.
Awkward and unexplained silences can be a real killer in any relationship; not only will you risk losing a potential mate; you end up wasting your precious time. There should always be something to discuss with a potential mate, and even if you are a chronically shy individual, it isn’t hard to find a topic that will ensure the night proceedings go on smoothly. For starters, if you are on a date and you suddenly sense that you guys are running out of things to talk about, you can look for an easy topic that will get both of you active. Something as simple as the date it self can be a great starting point.
Start talking about the panorama in the restaurant, the food, the quality of service offered by the caterers and waitresses, your reaction towards a movie you had just seen etc. Once the conversation starts to roll, it will soon start to stretch out into more topics and other areas and without any of you knowing, the evening will be flying by smoothly. The good way to measure the quality of your conversation with your date is through the amount of laughter from both parties. Generally, laughter will be an indication of enjoyment and comfort, thus if both parties are laughing chances are quite high the date is a successful one.
With that being said, knowing how to tell the difference between a reflective or comfortable, and an awkward silence is critical. A reflective silence, especially when it comes immediately after a great part of your conversation, can be a great indicator of a more positive result of the date than even the laughter itself. A good point to keep in mind is that you should never break any silence, whether it is a reflective or an awkward one, by starting to talk about yourself i.e. how wonderful or great you are. Good communication is the secret key to any kind of relationship, be it long term or short term, and it starts with a good conversation, so you should perfect your conversation skills and know how to keep your date laughing throughout the night.