You pace. You bite your nails. You call all your friends before a date. You suffer from first-date jitters. You spend the day thinking about what you’re going to talk about, what you may be wearing, where you might be going. Trust me, you’re not alone. A lot of people suffer from first date jitters, and I tell you: That’s crazy.

Think about this: 95 percent of first dates never materialize, never ever get past the first date. Most first dates are one and doners. It’s not that you’re not going to like the person. It’s just that in order to have real chemistry, it takes a lot of dates to find that. Some of us get lucky, meet one person — haven’t met a person in awhile, meet somebody, go on a date, and end up in a relationship. That’s one of the rare cases. But most first dates tend to crash and burn. And the reason why is because of the jitters.

Here’s the deal: If you go into a date really nervous thinking about what to say, how you’re going to act, then you’re just not going to be yourself, and that’s what you need to present: Yourself, a good, strong positive, amazing side of yourself. Don’t talk about exes. Don’t talk about things you don’t like. Talk about all things that you like. Talk about your dreams, and more importantly: Have fun. Here’s the deal: In terms of what you say or what you do, they’re either going to like you or they’re not going to like you. It’s not one statement that’s going to sway them in one direction or another. It’s not the place you pick out that’s going to sway them one way of the other.

Well, then again, unless you take them to McDonald’s for a first date. Then you might sway them never to come with you again, never to hang with you again. But in reality it’s all about just having a good time. Get rid of the first-date jitters. If you still have them, if you’re still so anxious to have sex with someone you’re meeting — remember the movie “Something about Mary?” — you can whack off before the date.