"A friend of mine once declined a date with a kind, funny, clever man because she hated his shoes. When she relayed this to our group of twentysomethings, it didn't warrant comment or discussion, because it was such a rational decision, which we all would have made. I mean, come on you can't go out with someone with bad trainers, can you?"
"Fortunately for the continuation of the human race, today's daters appear to be a little less fastidious. A recent report on relationships by the dating app Plenty of Fish not only failed to mention footwear, but showed that people are keen to skip the small-talk phase, so weighty conversation topics such as life goals and dealbreakers are now brought up straight away."
"What we're seeing for 2026 is a real shift in mindset, reports PoF's PR manager, Eva Gallagher. Singles have a more grounded sense of purpose. This is a good start, but if you really want to know whether you're suited to long-term togetherness, there are some topics you need to talk about from the off. These are the real dealbreakers, and would be much more fruitful dating-app search filters than age and hobbies."
Daters increasingly skip small talk and move quickly to substantive subjects such as life goals and dealbreakers. Singles show a more grounded sense of purpose and prioritize practical everyday compatibilities over superficial traits. Early conversations about habits like how early to arrive for flights, strictness about food expiry dates, and how to react to disappointing films can reveal long-term suitability. Misalignment on these everyday matters can produce persistent friction even during holidays or routine activities. Dating-app search filters would be more effective if they targeted these practical dealbreakers rather than age or hobby-based criteria.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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