<p>Cosmopolitan U.K. just <a href="https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/love-sex/relationships/a70301743/men-dating-icks-non-negotiables/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published the findings</a> from their dating survey and unfortunately it’s even more depressing than expected.</p>
<p>The accompanying article comes with a primer on the dating lingo of today including discussions about having the “ick” and “non-negotiables.” There’s also an entire paragraph dedicated to ways that people keep their distance including “zombie,” “orbit,” “breadcrumb,” “bench,” and “pocket.”</p>
<p>No, this isn’t a joke. This is the absolute state of dating in the year 2026.</p>
<p>The survey asked 250 single men about their dating dealbreakers, and the responses ranged from reasonable (&#8220;being rude to people&#8221;) to oddly specific (&#8220;must not like tickling people&#8221;) to hilarious (&#8220;use of the word &#8216;ick'&#8221;). One man said he doesn’t associate with women who refer to themselves as &#8220;influencers.&#8221; Well, in that case, same.</p>
<p>Buried beneath all the modern dating terminology is a deeper issue: people are exhausted. Instead of just meeting someone, feeling a connection, and going from there, modern men are spending way too much time searching for something that doesn’t exist. They&#8217;re ghosting potential partners for taking too long to text back, and also for texting too often. At this rate, no one will ever move past the “talking phase,” and that’s a really big deal.</p>
<p>Now fewer people are dating, getting married, or having kids than ever before. We&#8217;ve turned courtship into a job interview. Romance, in the way it used to be understood, is dead.</p>
<p>All hope is not lost, however, and dating doesn&#8217;t have to be this miserable forever. It can even be fun again. You know, back when people actually talked to each other instead of swiping left on everyone with the tiniest hint of “ick” potential.</p>
<p>Enter Michael Knowles&#8217; <a href="https://store.dailywire.com/collections/michael-knowles/products/yes-or-no-dating-relationships-expansion-pack" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yes or No: Dating and Relationships Expansion Pack</a>. This is a great way to interrogate your date about their dealbreakers in a fun way. With over 125 cards covering everything from interfaith marriages to whether &#8220;fur-babies&#8221; are replacing actual children, this game turns all that obsessive pre-screening into actual conversation.</p>
<p>Will you agree on whether watching porn is cheating? Is dating multiple people simultaneously fine if you&#8217;re not &#8220;exclusive&#8221;? These are the questions inspiring both laughter and deep conversations when everyone&#8217;s cards are on the table. <a href="https://store.dailywire.com/products/yes-or-no-dating-relationships-expansion-pack?_pos=2&amp;_sid=ebb86dcc4&amp;_ss=r" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Grab the deck now and save 25% off until Valentine&#8217;s Day!</a></p>
<p>Dating should be fun, not terrible. So grab the expansion pack, pour some drinks, and remember that dating isn&#8217;t about finding someone perfect. It&#8217;s finding someone whose imperfections coordinate perfectly with your own.</p>
<p>Happy dating, everyone.</p>
<p><a href="https://store.dailywire.com/products/yes-or-no-dating-relationships-expansion-pack?_pos=2&amp;_sid=ebb86dcc4&amp;_ss=r"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-1043353 size-full alignleft" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Knowles-Dating-Game.png" alt="" width="394" height="512" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Knowles-Dating-Game.png 394w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Knowles-Dating-Game-231x300.png 231w" sizes=" (max-width: 394px) 100vw, 394px" /></a></p>

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