That “show about nothing” actually taught us something about dating.  Seinfeld may be roughly two-decades removed now, but we can still take away a very valuable lesson from the show’s cynical characters (Jerry, George, Elaine, and yes — even Kramer).  Simply put:  unless we learn from our failed relationships, we are doomed to repeat history.

Now, I’ve dated my fair share of winners who turned out to be losers.  Who could forget the handsome pilot?  The minute I let him into the cockpit, he took off!  Or what about the producer I went undercover with when he worked at ABC’s 20/20?  That remains one of life’s unsolved mysteries.  And don’t get me started on some of the people I’ve dated in the medical community!  They poked.  They knew how to prod.  But at the end of the night, they had absolutely no bedside manner.

I digress.

A friend recently brought to my attention an interesting article that boils “happily ever after” down to a science.  As the New York Post put it, “in love, as with genies, we only get three wishes.”  Susannah Cahalan quotes relationship expert Ty Tashiro, who encourages singles to stop “wanting everything and getting nothing.”  To find a mate in the irrational world of dating, he says we should learn to “weed out the undesirable traits and [rethink] our views about what really matters in a romantic partner.”

As I prepare to dive back into the dating pool, I openly admit I’m a bit leery of the deep end.  But, I’m sure it beats some of the shallow “men” (notice I use that term loosely) I’ve been flopping around with lately in the kiddie section.  One thing’s clear:  I must re-evaluate my approach to the “dating game” because that will ultimately determine whether I sink or swim.