Sometimes it’s easy to tell when and where a date went bad. It could have been when you started yapping ceaselessly about your ex. It might have happened when you usied the sugar packet to pick the food from your teeth. Or maybe it was when you mentioned your long career in porn that things took a turn for the worse? No matter what the case, the point is that you lost control of your date and the chemistry exploded–and fast. Now you have some serious decisions to make. Do you cut your ties and lose this date that’s gone bad or do you try and make amends? Saving a date gone bad rates high on the difficulty scale but it can be done with a clear head and some careful planning.

If your date has gone sour and you need to sweeten it up, the first thing you’ll need to do is identify the issue. Usually this is really easy to determine if there’s been a big change in your dates attitude or behavior. For example, if your date has just reached over and slapped you, signaling that your date has gone very wrong, think back about a minute before you were struck and try and recall what it was you were saying. Mind you, not all instances will be this dramatic. You might notice that your date has become less talkative of or their body language has changed. They may be looking at their watch or the door or the other people around you – anything but where they should be looking, which is directly at you. Whatever the case, this means that your date has gone bad and needs to be saved. The one note where this doesn’t count is in cases where your date has been disinterested from the start. We’re talking about saving a date that once held promise, not winning a date over when the battle is nothing but uphill. If you want to save a date gone bad, you need to figure out what it was that started the fire so you know where to throw the water to put it out.

"Saving a date gone bad means putting out the fire"

Saving a date gone bad means putting out the fire, but not all fires can be put out the same way. Once you’ve identified the problem, saving what’s left can be tricky. If it was an opinion that set your friend off, try and readdress it if you think they mistook your meaning. If you wouldn’t change what you said, then there’s no point in trying to back off the issue. Can you clarify you position better? Perhaps open a dialogue where you can speak to some of the points that they brought up and smooth out the situation? If not, you need to pull out the big guns. Now where can we find “big guns” when we’re trying to save a date gone terribly bad? Ah! We still have charm! We have misdirection! We do have those, don’t we? If it looks like the sun is setting on your date, it’s time for the “Hail Mary.” Roll out the big personality. Try the jokes you picked up from Dad on fathers day. Start telling your deepest secrets and discussing your plans for world domination. This is a last ditch attempt to save your date and you might as go out with a bang! Try and get their mind off of whatever terrible sin you committed earlier. Maybe you will save the date or maybe your won’t. At least you’ll be able to say you tried your best, and that should hopefully give you a little comfort as you head home – alone.

The best way to save a date gone bad is to keep it going well. If you’re not too sure how this is done, try reading some of our other articles. You can easily brush up on things such as better body language, how to prep for a date, great places to take dates – an entire arsenal of dating advice. With it, you can ensure you make all the right moves and never have to figure out how to recover from a date gone bad again!