" In my mind, a first date really boils down to selling what you have, what you almost have and what you wish you had. First, what you have: wit, humor, intelligence, beauty, confidence. Second, you want to convey that you have ambition and a desire to grow as a person but not talk yourself up too much——basically what I almost have. And third, you have to reveal that you’re human but not a high-maintenance hot mess. This requires being slightly exposed by showing that you don’t have it all together, and there are things that you still want and need, or things you wish you had. Of course, all of this must be accomplished while not being too serious or too silly, and while looking particularly cute. Not to mention being mysterious enough to leave them wanting more. Dang, this dating thing is hard! "

― , A Year of Blind Dates: A Single Girl's Search for "The One"