© Rex Features
© Reveal
I'm pretty sure Jordan and Taylor Swift don't have any problems approaching a man they fancy, stone cold sober, and asking (forcing?) them to go on a date.
But, Jordan and Taylor aren't my idols (sorry ladies, sure you're lovely) and, although I have no qualms in talking and outrageously flirting with men at a party or in the pub, making the first move by asking them out is a different matter.
Sure, 'life's too short', 'it's the 21st century' and 'women should be equal to men'. But whatever happened to old-fashioned chivalry?
A man knows when a lady is interested. (Er hello… check out my over-exaggerated hair flicking and lots of giggling over nothing-at-all.) So why shouldn't they do the gentlemanly thing by letting us know the feeling is mutual?
Anyway, girls want to be romanced and, even though I'm not a typical 'old romantic' kinda gal, I do like a man who is confident enough to do the chasing. I would want a potential boyfriend to be strong, decisive and have the ability to take control of a situation. If he was so timid that he couldn't even ask for my phone number, then I don't think he would be the man for me!
And don't even try to deny that it does wonders for your self-esteem to know you're the one being chased, not the one doing the chasing.
And ladies, if you are going to be brave in making the first move, remember – there's a difference between confidently asking a man out, and drunkenly hanging off his neck after too many Jagerbombs, telling him you just know you 'would make a great couple.' No personal experience there, of course.
© Reveal
Well brush off the landline and shrug on that shell suit because it looks like we've gone back to 1991.
The Rules might have worked in an age when Downton Abbey was still a memorable way of life but in the 21st century, advice such as 'never initiate contact first' and 'keep communication brief' sound like a quick way to give that hot bloke in your life the brush off.
'Wait at least four hours to return a text,' advises the dating guide. Four hours? FOUR HOURS!?
With Facebook, Skype and Twitter comprising just the tip of the communication iceberg, giving him radio silence just screams: "I'M MAKING YOU WAIT. THIS IS ALL A BIG GAME". And any bloke with half a brain cell (which is surely the minimum dating requirement) will see this childish tactic for exactly what it is.
Unless I've found myself stuck down a signal-free man hole or my worst fear of my phone actually being swallowed by my handbag is realised, then the chances of me not seeing his text is nigh on impossible. He knows it. I know it. And that accidental tweet about the tuna baguette I had for lunch proves it.
Rather than ignoring men and pretending to be someone we're not, surely we could try using that old classic – common sense. Here's some top tips The Rules doesn't mention…
1. Don't get so drunk on your first date that you're sick and have to be put to bed.
2. Don't sleep with him on the first night and wake in a panic, desperately hunting for your pants while rubbing at that smeared mascara.
3. Don't get so het up waiting for him to say I love you that you pick a fight and scream it mid-argument, before bursting into a snot-covered blubbering mess.
And to all my happily loved-up lady friends who have done the above – thank you for proving that a man in love really will put up with anything… after all, aren't rules made to be broken?'
Who do you agree with ladies? Let us know in the comments below, as the best comment each week from across the website wins £50!
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