Single dude goes on the best first date of his life, gets rejected because he looks too much like her brother: 'People should be less honest sometimes.'

Emmy Pratt • Senior Editor

Oct 11, 2026 5:15 PM EDT

It happens to the best of us!

I have been in a relationship for the past seven months, and it's been wonderful for many reasons. It's cliché and easy to say that companionship and intimacy are nice, but being in a relationship has many underrated perks. For me, one of the biggest perks of being boo'd up is that I don't have to go on any dates with random people anymore. Using Hinge and going on fruitless first dates was by far the worst part of being single, and if you are in the trenches of dating apps right now, my heart goes out to you! I promise, you don't have to meet your partner on the apps. Pew Research found that only 1 in 10 adults in a relationship met each other through a dating app. I am living proof that you can still meet your girlfriend through an adult recreational dodgeball league.

When I was one of the 53% of people ages 18-29 who had used a dating app, I didn't realize how bad most of these dates were. Looking back, I can't help but feel bad for my past self. The worst kinds of first dates are the ones where you realize within the first 10 minutes that you don't have any chemistry at all, and that it is not a good fit. I have been on my fair share of these, and I never had the courage to get up after 30 minutes, say, "This isn't working," and leave. I don't know which is worse: wasting somebody's evening on a fruitless date, or leaving unceremoniously early without giving someone more of a chance. I think doing the latter will make the person feel bad about themselves.

I used to feel embarrassed when I went on what I thought was a great first date, only to get rejected over text later. It wasn't that I thought I was so great, and it was absurd for somebody to reject me. I was just embarrassed that I had misread the vibe so badly! But most of the time, rejection is just redirection toward what you should be doing. You shouldn't let one absurdly bad rejection stop you from trying to find love, even if said rejection was a huge disappointment.

01

via Yunus Tuğ (Unsplash+)

A man and a woman on a first date.
_{Picture does not depict real parties.}
02

via @CanteloupeLuvrr
03

via @CanteloupeLuvrr
04

via @silevvar
05

via @christsavesm3

This is a fair assumption, and it very well might be true. However, when I went on a date that wasn't technically bad, but I wasn't attracted to the person, I often lied and said I was still hung up on someone else. Sometimes that was at least a little true, but often I said it because I hated being rejected by people who said they "didn't feel the connection." I figured they would feel better about themselves if they were rejected for something that had nothing to do with them, but I don't know if that's true.
06

via @reduxcity
07

via @ihrtdazai
08

via @ArtistRule1660
09

via @qixtax
10

via @btwimjazmine
11

via @MorsicatioB
12

via @peakphysique
13

via @elliyut
14

via @pnwprincess23
15

via @coffee_oil
16

via @fiddlerotroof

Once, I asked my sister if she'd be uncomfortable with me dating someone with her name, and she gave me her blessing.
17

via @Cal_EL96
18

via @film0igy
19

via @andreasversion

Want More? Follow Us and Add Us as a Preferred Source on Google.

Single dude goes on the best first date of his life, gets rejected because he looks too much like her brother: 'People should be less honest sometimes.'

It happens to the best of us!

Tags

Handpicked for You

{{title}}

Handpicked for You

{{title}}