We Asked People To Share The Best Love And Dating Advice They've Ever Received

Advice on dating and relationships tends to be cliche (“There’s plenty of fish in the sea”) or too specific to the person sharing it (What worked for them isn’t necessarily going to work for you).

On the hunt for genuinely good advice, we decided to ask an assortment of people ― pastors, podcast hosts, psychologists and standup comedians, among others ― to share the very best relationship or dating advice they have ever received or given. Read what they had to say below.

Responses have been lightly edited for clarity and length.

Tell everyone you know that you’re single and looking for love.

“Have no shame. Tell everyone you know that you are looking for love and ask them to set you up. Message a ton of people via online dating sites and only spend your time and attention with ones that like you are looking for love. Only go on max one date per week so you don’t get burned out. Realize that most of the time, folks will not be your fit and that is OK. Keep going, the next one may be the last one. Don’t date until your life is pretty good and you would rather be single than be in a mediocre relationship.” ― Mike Goldstein, founder of EZ Dating Coach

Pay attention to how they interact with waiters.

“Notice how they treat strangers and service workers, because that is how they will treat you in the long run.” ― David Kaye, the artistic director at Bad Example Productions

Notice how you feel when you’re around them before getting serious.

“There are a few aspects of romantic relationships that have resonated with me as a relationship researcher, in particular when commitment is still forming and the attachment system may be activated. One of the most important elements when determining if a partner is capable of