I was leafing through X earlier today (Saturday, October 10, 2026) when I came across a post by one Chris Hatch. Based on his profile, Mr. Hatch’s priorities in life are expanding a chain of drive-through coffee shops and making babies, as he and his wife are currently raising five kids. Got to do something to burn off the extra energy from all that caffeine, or at the least consume large quantities of same to keep up with the rugrats. Anyway, his post suggests employing a gentlemanly approach to dating.

Attention Young Men:

 I am surrounded by 20 year old girls in my life that are smart, capable, hard working and cute. Nobody is dating them. Not sure what the deal is, but I don’t get it.

 Step 1: Stop playing video games

 Step 2: Head to great clips and get that lettuce cleaned up

 Step 3: Hit a shower (when dating hygiene is critical)

 Step 4: Go clean your car

 Step 5: Sign up for a yoga class

 Step 6: Go to the yoga class

 Step 7: Ask a cute for her phone number at yoga class (yes you can meet girls IRL and not just on the apps - 10/10 the Dirt Dog highly recommends)

 Step 8: Follow up within 2 days with a phone call and ask them out for this coming weekend Friday or Saturday night.

 Step 9: IMPORTANT - come up with a good game plane for date night. Get a dinner reservation, get an activity planned. Let them know in advance what you are doing so they can dress appropriately. I know you are gunna roll off the couch and head to date night, but they are not. They are going to stress about what to wear and call at least 6 different people on FaceTime to ask their opinion.

 Step 10: I highly recommend you bring flowers to the door step. I’m not covering that you go to the doorstep, because if you don’t do that you have no hope here. Women want men to date them. You don’t need to break the bank on flowers. Head to Trader Joe’s. Grab 2 different kinds of flowers. If you don’t know what matches find the closest looking lady to your mom at TJ’s and ask her. Wrap the 2 flowers into 1 bouquet with paper. Bonus Points you can cut open a TJ bag and use that as the paper.

 Step 11: Be a gentleman on the date. She isn’t there to hear your life story. Ask her about her. For every 1 question you answer, ask her 3. Open Doors, pay for the meal, be polite.

 Provided you follow most of this guideline you are highly likely to get yourself an opportunity for date number 2.

 Keep going until you find someone that you can’t imagine not being around all the time. That’s when you have found a good one for you.

 My life is complete with my wife as my companion. I wish you the same fortune in life. Happy Hunting.

I’m not sure about the yoga class, but the rest of the advice seems solid. Wind up and pitch a little woo already. I note that I celebrated my 43rd wedding anniversary a few days ago, so I speak as a distant observer in both time and space of the dating game.

Townhall’s Amy Curtis made a sobering reality-rooted comment in response to Mr. Hatch’s advice:

Because young men have learned that if they date a girl and it goes bad, she can come back and accuse them of rape two years after the fact.

 She can strangle his children and the media will circle the wagons to protect her.

 She can divorce him and take half of everything.

 That’s why.

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Welcome to the 21st century.

An unexplored angle to the matter is faith. As a Christian, I have long observed, with a mixture of amusement and alarm, the peculiarity in myself and others of lopsided belief. In my case, I can believe without doubt that Jesus was born of a virgin, died a substitutionary death on the cross so that my sins could be forgiven, and three days later physically rose from the dead. I can and do simultaneously struggle with believing He has His nail-scarred hand firmly on the pulse of my daily business and that when the apostle Paul wrote Romans 8:28 (”And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose”) he wasn’t just joshin’. Comes with being human.

While mistakes can and will happen, entering into one knowing full well it is a mistake isn’t excused by applying an oopsie tag. A critical error many believers make is pursuing, or entering into, a romantic relationship with a non-believer. This is a really, really bad idea. Do you really think becoming one with someone who doesn’t share the core of your existence, which for a Christian must be your relationship with Jesus, is somehow going to work because earthly love fixes everything and the other person will surely latch on to your witness, see the error of their ways, and accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior? Please. If that is your mindset, get over yourself.

Another common mistake is overestimating your desirability. I’m not talking about looks, although we need to keep in mind that our being created in God’s image and our belonging to Him incurs the responsibility to take care of ourselves, not abusing our bodies with excessive food and drink. In this case, desirability entails neither believing we are perfect as we are and that any failure to connect with another is the other person’s fault, nor believing we are the lowest of the low and that it is no wonder that no one loves us because we’re scum. Neither of these mindsets has the slightest basis in Scripture. We are simultaneously God’s handiwork and a work in progress. While neither Prince Charming nor Princess Perfect are on their way, chances are very good that God is preparing someone for you, and you for them, so that one day you can be gloriously imperfect together.

Human love is a multi-faceted thing. It doesn't conquer all. It can falter and fail and fade. It can also endure, fueled by the love God has for us. Searching for love can be sheer torture. Dating can suck beyond words. Rejection is real. Insecurity is inescapable. Yet we can press on, knowing that there is reward worth the risk. But be wise. No one is out of your league, but they may well be in the wrong lane.

Brothers, stick with the sisters. Sisters, bond with the brothers. Shared faith is no guarantee of a lasting relationship, or, for that matter, a relationship at all. But a lack of shared faith must stop the show well before the curtain rises.

And guys? Don’t forget the flowers.