A new normal

A new normal

Don't Split the Bill

And other forgotten dating advice for Men and Women

Normie Macdonald's avatar
Normie Macdonald
Jan 11, 2026
∙ Paid
woman in black long sleeve shirt sitting on black leather chair

If we’re being honest, Dating Advice is a terrible term, because no one actually wants to date. Dating is the necessary but annoying impediment in between strangers and spouses. You do it because you have to, because it’s the process you must go through before reaching your stated end goal. But no one actually embarks on this journey solely for the journey itself. Anyone telling you otherwise would be dishonest, or severely short sighted. Perhaps we do currently suffer from an epidemic of dishonesty and short sightedness. And this means that many of the basics have been forgotten, while the actual end goal continues to be misconstrued. If your end goal is just hooking up, stop reading. I have nothing for you. If your end goal is marriage, then you’ve come to the right place. We’re not actually giving out dating advice. We’re giving out courting advice, with marriage as the explicit end goal, and the advice works. Here it is:

Rule # 1 - Don’t Split The Bill

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