Breaking It Down: What Men Think of Things Women Do

Picking up the tab on a date

Dinner was scrumptious, conversation enthralling and then a savvy waitress puts the check dead center of the table and walks away to let fate take it’s course. Traditional dating schema insists that men pick up the check so when the lady dives for the check in a hurry, he finds cause for pause.

It’s one thing to openly declare, “I made a ridiculous amount of money at the market this week, so allow me–” as you go to pay the tab. But a woman insisting on paying sends the male brain into a series of recursive loops trying to understand the move because it breaks the system men have come to rely on, even if begrudgingly in some cases.

The problem is that there are too many variables these days. Some women do it to establish themselves as equals, others do it to avoid feeling like they “owe” the man anything while other ladies are looking to chump a dude. Then there are those women that simply offer to pay as a “test.”

At any rate, men (who you’re actually in to) would rather just pay the tab, especially on a first date rather than try to pick up the signal you’re sending by being super gracious. The male brain is much better with observations than signals.