The question of who should pay on a date is an ongoing hot button issue, but a divorce lawyer is sparking a debate about the topic after weighing in with his thoughts. Justin Lee, a Toronto-based attorney, took to TikTok to share his point of view in a now-viral video. He thinks men should always pay on a first date, but probably not for the reason you think.
In his clip, Lee explains that when going out with someone new for the first time, men should always offer to pay. He calls it “the best litmus test” to see what kind of person they’re sitting across from. The lawyer clarifies that ultimately, it doesn’t matter who pays, the real point is just offering.
“The issue is when we end up paying for someone who has this real sense of entitlement,” Lee says. “Like this expectation that we will pay.” So he suggests men should pull out their wallets at the end of the date and offer to pay, then see how the other person reacts. If they just sit back and watch, like they expected him to pay all along, that’s a potential red flag. “In that moment, what did you just learn?” Lee asks. “That they have, frankly, the audacity to expect a near-stranger to pay for them. Just imagine how someone like that will treat their significant other.” Commenters have mixed reactions to Lee’s theory.
- “I agree 100% it’s the entitlement that is such a turn-off,” one user writes.
- “I wait for him to offer to pay and get his card out and we end up splitting it,” another shares. “It’s not an entitlement thing, I want to feel cared for.”
Source: In The Know