What makes a date so dreadful is the weight of expectation attached to it. There is every chance that you may meet your soulmate, get married, have children and be buried side by side. There is an equal chance that the person you meet will look as if they've already been buried for some time.

How to... Date, Never Hit a Jellyfish with a Spade: How to Survive Life's Smaller Challenges (2004).