Aziz Ansari is the master of dates

He’s the hilarious star of Parks And Recreation and Master Of None, plus the author of an in-depth sociological analysis of love in 2016. This is Aziz Ansari’s Modern Romance…

On dating in 2016: ‘I realised that the transformation of our romantic lives cannot be explained by technology alone; there’s much more to the story. In a very short period of time, the whole culture of finding love and a mate has radically changed.’ On love 50 years ago: ‘You didn’t marry each other because you were madly in love; you married because you could make a family together. Waiting for true love was a luxury that many, especially women, could not afford… This whole idea of marrying for happiness and love is relatively new.’

On love now: ‘The soulmate marriage is very different from the companionate marriage. It’s not about finding someone decent to start a family with. It’s about finding the perfect person whom you truly, deeply love. But searching for a soulmate takes a long time and requires enormous emotional investment.’ On finding The One: ‘Initially, we are attracted to people by their physical appearance and traits we can quickly recognise. But people’s deeper and more distinctive traits emerge gradually through shared experiences and intimate encounters, the kinds we sometimes have when we give relationships a chance to develop.’ On getting a date in the first place: ‘Don’t text back right away. You come off like a loser who has nothing going on. If you write to someone, don’t text them again until you hear from them.’