In a class the other day, we discussed the importance of nonverbal communication, or NVC. It seems that as much as we believe that the words coming out of our mouths are the only things worth paying attention to, the motions we make while we talk are almost equally essential.

As I meticulously took the notes that were scribbled onto the giant projector screen, I thought about the importance of NVC. When you think about it, we use body language to send messages every time we talk to someone. For instance, when I approve of someone, I tend to swivel my hips while I talk to them.

But when does this matter, and when does body language almost become more important than the words being spoken?

Then it dawned on me like the nonexistent sun hidden behind the clouds in the afternoon sky:

The dating scene.

Of course. The one place where every movement you make is a do-or-die game, where one wrong move of the eyebrow or curl of the lip can lead to a slap in the face and no second date.

You may think I'm kidding around, but this is no joke. If you search Google for "Body Language on a Date," you'll receive 96,200,000 results. That's 96 million different pages saying, "Hey, you suck at dating, so here are some tips on how to use your body to tone down the stupid crap that comes out of your mouth."

For instance, Tracey Cox, author of "Flirting and Body Language" on the BBC Relationships Web site, said 80 percent of your first impression of the other person is made up of the way they stand or walk. If that's the case, then why bother opening your mouth? If by the time you enter the place they already know whether or not they like you, wouldn't it be easier to just walk up to them, do a full catwalk turn, and ask whether or not they want to go on a second date?

No wonder models have it so easy: They walk so well no one ever notices the ridiculous things they say when they finally sit down.

Cox continues with the various ways you can tell if someone is attracted to you, such as his body pointing in your direction, mirroring your actions, or blinking rapidly.

However, the most important information is what Cox calls "the golden rule of body language," which is to never judge anything by itself. When on a date, we should always look for multiple signals coming from the other person.

In other words, while sitting there trying to keep your cool, you need to be looking at the position of their body, eye movement, arch of the brow, what direction arms, legs, toes and hands are pointing, blinking rate, and how often they mirror your actions, all while trying to think of something funny to say and avoiding that awkward silence.

Is it any surprise that everyone's moved on to online dating?

Think about it: a place where you can meet people and never worry about what messages your body is sending while you chat. Heck, most of the time the person won't see you at all. You could be sitting naked eating a bag of Doritos and still come across as the sexiest man or woman in the world.

It will only be a matter of time, however, until anal-retentive people scrutinize this form of dating too. Soon we'll have to worry about the time we take to send a message, how often we touch the keyboard, the rate at which we type, the amount of pressure we put when typing "?" or "!"

So please. Go on your date, and have fun. Don't bother trying to watch yourself, because you're going to say and do some stupid stuff. That's what happens when you like someone. You say and do stupid things. And the best part is, if they like you, they'll be just as stupid as you are.

Reach columnist Eric Uthus at opinion@thedaily.washington.edu