A divorce lawyer has revealed why men should "always" pay on the first date - and it's sparked quite the debate on social media.
Toronto-based attorney Justin Lee recently look to his TikTok account (@jleejd) to explain why first dates are the "best litmus tests" when it comes to trying to ignite a relationship.
The lawyer often shares his career advice with his 179,000+ followers, and this time he wanted to cover an always hotly-discussed issue: Who should pay on a first date?
Well, Lee has his own reasoning as to why the guy should always be the one paying. And strap yourselves in, because this video got a lot of people talking.
Watch Lee's video below:"The issue isn't tied to the number of dollars that we're spending at the end of the date," Lee says, adding that "if it is, respectfully, you need to go get a job." Great start.
But he continued: "The issue is when we end up paying for someone who has this real sense of entitlement, like this expectation that we will pay. That's precisely why we need to always pay."
"Your date, whoever that is, may very well be the person you end up marrying. And trust me when I say, as a divorce lawyer, who you end up marrying is so, so important," Lee says. "Let's say, at the end of the date, you pull out your wallet and you offer to pay. And your date just sits there, expecting you to pay, as if that is the obvious course of action."
He continues: "You just learned that the person in front of you is entitled, and frankly, has the audacity to expect a near stranger to pay for them. Just imagine how someone like that would treat their significant other."
"For a low, low price of $20, $30, $40, you learned that the person in front of you does not have the basic courtesy to pretend to offer to pay. And therefore you should never go on another date with them," Lee adds.
Well, after amassing more than 424,000 views, it's safe to say that people were DIVIDED.
There were those (few) that agreed:
There were those that strongly disagreed:
Others said that whoever asked for the date should be the one to foot the bill:
Others had their own dating methods:
And others agreed with Lee's statement, but believed his point would have come across better if genders were removed:
After the video blew up, Lee took to the comments section to clarify his comments and reinforce the notion that his theory has nothing to do with genders, but entitlement. He wrote:
"Oh boy, this sparked quite a debate. A lot of you are missing the point of the video - it’s not about who actually ends up paying, as much as it is about respecting and appreciating the gesture. As I said in the video, men will gladly pay - the payment isn’t the issue.
"The issue is when women perceive the payment as an obligation as opposed to a kind gesture. Entitled vs Appreciative. No one owes anybody anything!
"And or the record, this isn’t gender specific - any man or woman who feels entitled in [any way] towards the other is a walking red flag."
Now, I'm a modern kinda person who believes that whoever asked for the date should pay, and if you both mutually agreed to the date, then you split the bill. But what do I know, eh?
Let us know your thoughts on who should pay on a first date in the comments section.
