Popularized by the romcom, the three-day dating rule insists that a person wait three full days before contacting a potential suitor. A first-day text or call is too eager, a second-day contact seems planned, but three days is, somehow, the perfect amount of time.
The theory is that waiting three days makes you look less eager and/or desperate, and gives your date time to realize how much they liked you when they think you might not contact them. Essentially, the three day rule is all about playing hard to get.
Even though not a lot of people do it anymore, some guys follow a “3-day rule” where they wait a few days before they reach out. Guys think waiting makes them sound less desperate, so they may feel more comfortable texting you at that point.
Give it a few days (or even a week).
It might feel tough waiting for him to text you, but your crush might truly be busy and unable to respond to your messages right away. Waiting 2–3 days or up to a week before reaching out gives him a chance to text you first once he realizes what he's missing.
For starters, the 3-Day Rule is when you take a 3 day break from texting/contacting/messaging your potential new bae to see if he/she will reach out to you first from time to time as well. When it comes to dating someone new, unofficially, the fact that nobody can read minds really grinds some gears.
If you two have been together for three months or less, he certainly could be missing you if you have only been in no contact for a few days. But it will likely take a few weeks or often more.
So, to be hyper specific we believe you shouldn't contact your ex until after you've completed a no contact rule of at least 21 to 45 days. If it's not been 21 days yet then don't reach out. If it's longer than 45 days then it's time to reach out assuming you've got the rest of the COOL acronym covered.
If a guy does not text you back immediately, there might be valid reasons like preoccupation with work, wanting some space, or being just not into you.
Time-sensitive messages should be answered as soon as possible, while you have more time for nonurgent ones. But not that long. Gottsman, speaking "from a polite factor" believes you should respond within a day.
According to the Urban Dictionary (http://www.urbandictionary.com) the three day rule is: “A rule to prevent a man from appearing desperate or needy after attaining a girl's phone number that he (just) met. Following this rule, you are to wait 3 days before calling in order to create suspense and appear non-needy.”
If your guy is not replying to you, it may be because he needs some space. Give him that, and he will most likely text you back in some time or a couple of days. This one can be true if you both have started dating recently.
He's not sure what he wants: Some guys stop communicating if they're unsure of what they want from the relationship. He might be feeling overwhelmed or conflicted and needs some space to figure things out. While seeking clarity is a good thing, ignoring or even ghosting you is not.
If it has been less than a couple of days then try to not let his lack of contact bother you. There is a good chance he is busy and this is nothing to worry about. Get home from work, put your phone on aeroplane mode and avoid checking your WhatsApp status or social media activity. You have your own life to live.
However in Strauss' book, the three second rule is a very different concept. It refers to the idea that when guys see a woman they fancy, they have three seconds to approach her, make eye contact, or strike up a conversation before she loses interest - or he bottles it.
Many guys hate failing and feeling inadequate. They often don't have the speed of words to compete with their partner in a conflict. Men's emotional processing capacity is often much slower than their partner. Whilst being silent is a sign of a man's need to process it is also a way to avoid the feelings of defeat.
Dry texting is what happens when someone gives you short, non-engaging replies in a texting conversation. It can also be super repetitive and just plain boring, says Claudia Cox, a relationship coach and founder of Text Weapon.
Reaching out less rather than cutting him off makes a guy miss you. You don't have to completely stop texting to get his attention — just slow down how often you reach out. Shoot him a text once or twice a week instead of every day so he has a little more space.
If they are texting you often, that's a clear sign that they want to pursue a relationship with you. Conversely, if they hardly text you and seem aloof, then they probably aren't that interested in you.
There are no specific times a guy should text you when he likes you, but he must be consistent. A guy who genuinely likes you will text you at least once a day. Also, after a discussion about getting to know each other, he will randomly text to check up on you and text you good morning and good night.
Wait at least one day if you still want to double text.
If you still haven't heard from them and want to follow up, text them something lighthearted. The key is to be positive and casual here—they'll be more likely to respond that way, and you'll lower the risk of seeming pushy.
If you've texted your love interest and she has not responded to you in hours or days, you can give her the benefit of the doubt and allow her plenty of time and space to send you a response. If a potential love-interest stops texting you, there's a potential that she's busy and is waiting for when she has more time.
In modern dating, the 24-hour rule has replaced the 3-day rule. Instead of waiting the traditional 3 days to text a girl after a date, send a simple “thank you” text the next day. You can still wait 1-2 days to ask her on a second date, but you want to quickly acknowledge that you enjoyed her company.