I'm Bad at Dating

[Fourth Floor]

I don't know if anyone else does this. You know that false 'first date persona', that thing we do in job interviews and other situations when we feel we're under scrutiny? We essentially create this version of ourselves that doesn't have any of our flaws so everything will run smoother and it's not until later that they meet the real us? Whenever I'm on a date I'm so self-conscious about that persona, I'm so aware that I'm doing it that I'll slip in a few bad points. I'll be having coffee with a girl and I'll suddenly say, "Oh by the way, I'm really bad at remembering anniversaries and birthdays. And I'm kind of an asshole." Sometimes conversations will just devolve into a detailed list of all my flaws. I'm too self-aware to be dating, I'm so self-aware that I go out of my way to sabotage myself. I'm so self-aware that I know that I'm doing it! What's wrong with me?