PAGE 2
Oprah.com: Are there any cardinal rules of dating?

JW: Be positive. That is a number one. For example, "It is a good thing it is raining outside because it is April and we need beautiful flowers for May." I don't care what it is, you just have to take a negative and turn it into a positive when you are dating. When you do that, everything just falls into place.

SW: Aside from being positive, the next cardinal rule would be to make [the other person] a priority. There are a million things going on in our lives, whether it is a yoga class, some community board, friends we hang out with. Both of you are very busy, and you really need to make the other person a priority to develop the relationship.

JW: Also, don't discuss money, politics or religion right away. Those are the rules, and if you could just stick to them, people could find relationships.

And, don't talk about sex. You don't talk about sex on a first date!

SW: Sometimes it comes up, Mom.

JW: Steven, how could you possibly talk about sex?

SW: I am going to tell you why it is important to discuss sex in the first stage of dating. You know when it is important to talk about sex? Before you have sex.

JW: I agree, just not on the third date.

SW: I think what my mom is really passionate about getting across in regard to this particular question is the fact that most people aren't able to communicate as effectively and as perfectly to have an understanding about sleeping together.

JW: You are 100 percent right—you can't lead someone else into a relationship when that is not where it is going. If a girl thinks she is on a third date with a guy and she is going to sleep with him, but there isn't a possibility of a relationship developing and they don't speak about it first...well, that is no good.

SW: That is the point we agree on. What we are saying is the probability of being to able to form a relationship by the end of the third date is not very high. So, if you are looking for a committed relationship, it would probably serve your interests to wait until you're both confident that a relationship will come about once you cross that bridge.

How to keep the love alive once you've found it
The opinions expressed by Oprah.com contributors are strictly their own.

NEXT STORY

Next Story