Confusing chemistry with compatibility

This is the biggest first-date trap, and almost everyone falls into it at least once. A great evening — laughter, easy conversation, genuine physical attraction — doesn't mean a great relationship is on the horizon. It means the evening was great. Chemistry is necessary but nowhere near sufficient. The way two people spend an enchanted dinner doesn't tell you much about how they'll handle money disagreements, creative differences, family complications, or the inevitable flatness of a difficult Tuesday. Watch how they treat the server. Notice how they handle minor friction — a slow kitchen, a wrong order, a small misunderstanding between the two of you. Pay attention to how they talk about people who aren't at the table: their friends, their family, their exes, their colleagues. These are the data points that survive into year three of a relationship. The electricity of a first date is real and worth enjoying. It is not a reliable preview of what it's like to actually build a life with someone. Both things can be true.