30 Married Men Share The Dumbest Things They Did While Dating That Their Future Wives Could've Left Them For

One advantage of there being less pressure to get married these days is that people can take their time with a partner, get to know them, and see how they work together. Some of these dumb decisions are truly inspired, but the silver lining is that their partner can see them at their worst before making a commitment. The average time from the first date to the wedding in the US is around two years, though this number, like most averages, is skewed by those who take nearly a decade and the few who think they can reach a decision in a few weeks. To each their own I guess.

Dumb actions can even be a way to stress-test a relationship. Couples get to see each other in uncomfortable positions, deal with resolving disagreements, and understand what the other thinks is a normal date. It’s also a testament to how much each party likes or dislikes the other. If you are willing to give a person another chance after some of these events, you must really like them. 

Sometimes even a bad situation can strengthen an experience in the long term. Solidarity, after all, is a good social bond. It might be a bit weaker when your partner is also the one that causes the problem, but I digress. Still, there is a reason “through thick and thin” is a common marriage vow. Plus dumb dating stories always make great jokes on some social occasions, something to laugh about together. 

Now, there might even be a method to most respondents’ madness, or dumbness, as it were. A happy, positive, and optimistic person is generally more likable than someone who is perpetually a sad-sack, all other variables being equal. Well, while this might be a bit of a conjuncture, there is some evidence that people with lower IQ scores report overall better social lives and higher rates of happiness. There are other variables that affect this, from urban density to the number of friends, but at the end of the day, a somewhat dumb but cheerful person makes for a better time than a grouch that happens to be smart. Problem-solving skills do not necessarily translate to a fun time. 

On top of that, while many of these actions were by most standards pretty dumb, particularly on a date, they were memorable. In a crowded dating market, if you don’t have the cash for an extra fancy event, you need to do something unexpected. Something that shows you are vulnerable. If you know you are a dumb person, first off, congratulations, it’s important to know thyself. Secondly, you are likely to do something dumb again. So you need a partner, like the ones here, who is willing to put up with it. So a dumb action is just the sieve you use to find your soul mate.