Modern dating advice from Jane Austen…

According to the Daily Mail, one of the greatest romance writers of all time has had her messages translated into rules for dating in the modern world. Although her knowledge might be dated by over two centuries, it has proved entirely valid in today’s modern world.

The Jane Austen Rules: A Classic Guide to Modern Love by Sinead Murphy is a collection of some of the most valuable lessons when looking for love as found in the writing of Jane Austen. Her great literary novels like Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility were filled with timeless messages that Murphy has proven are still relevant today.

So take a look at some of the most important rules from Jane Austen and tell us, have you lived by these in your search for love over the years?

Don’t settle. If you have a set of qualities that you look for in a potential partner, don’t settle for anyone who doesn’t meet these important values. Your life will be much easier if you have someone with a similar value set to yourself.

Be prepared to wait for the right man. Why? Because it is half the fun. Holding yourself to high values and being willing to enjoy life as a singleton before settling down is a plan with class.

Public displays of affection should be kept to a minimum. While everyone may know that you and your significant other are an item, you don’t need to show it to the general public.

Choose men over guys. Finding men who are strong, manly and who have a mature outlook on life is important if you want to find someone who is a true life partner who will fulfil the role of husband.

There’s no harm in dressing up. While we want to find someone who like us for ourselves, there is no harm in making sure you present your best self and show that you can look after yourself independently.

Dating advice and advice on how to find love has been given out over history in large doses. But if we think about it, Jane Austen’s rules as she illustrated through her novels, are some of the ones that have really stuck. While she didn’t revolutionise or reinvent dating or “courting” her advice has been incredibly valuable.

Available for $21.25 via Booktopia

So tell us, did you follow her rules when you were dating? Or perhaps are you following them while you’re dating now? Would you pass these rules on to your granddaughters? Tell us in the comments below…