Three-quarters at least sometimes excuse a dating red flag as situational
Core finding
When something feels off about a date, most Americans are willing to let it slide. Roughly three-quarters (74%) say they at least some of the time overlook a trait they dislike because they read it as situational, including 24% who do so often, very often, or always, according to a Verasight survey conducted May 11, 2026.
Rarely (11%) and never (4%) cover most of the rest, while another 11% say they have never dated.
Topline distribution
Three-quarters at least sometimes excuse a dating red flag as situational.
When you're dating someone, how often do you overlook something you don't like because you think it is situational?
n = 1,000 · May 11, 2026 · MoE ±3.3%
Methodology
Full methodology →| Mode | Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting |
|---|---|
| Population | US adults age 18+ |
| Field dates | May 11, 2026 |
| Base (unweighted) | 1,000 |
| Margin of error | ±3.3% |
| Module | society |
| Sponsor | Verasight |
| Weight variable | weight |
| Weighting targets | age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status |
Sources
- reports.verasight.io/r/spsp26
When you're dating someone, how often do you overlook something you don't like because you think it is situational?
Cite this question
Verasight SPSP Omnibus Survey #2026-045, fielded May 11-11, 2026, N=1,000 US adults age 18+, +/- 3.3%.