Rule 1: Don’t Be Gross Don’t immediately talk about medical maladies that are gross and controllable. — Helene Weiss Rule 2: Keeping Score If you’re keeping score (who messaged first, how long you waited between message replies), you’ve already lost. When it’s right, you will feel calm, not anxious. — Natalie Pickover Rule 3: Shared Values Shared values are far more important than shared interests. — Nancy Caciola Rule 4: Skepticism Be skeptical of statements made on the first date.