Lately, we've been noticing a lot of articles about why people should bring back the tradition of dating. "It's chivalrous!" they say. "It's cute!" they squeal, with all the saccharine earnesty of a human Upworthy video. But we say fuck that. Dates suck. Dates especially suck when you don't know the person very well. Enter happy hour, aka "home of the casual date."

Lately, we've been noticing a lot of articles about why people should bring back the tradition of dating. "It's chivalrous!" they say. "It's cute!" they squeal, with all the saccharine earnesty of a human Upworthy video.

But we say fuck that. Dates suck. Dates especially suck when you don't know the person very well. They're awkward, expensive, and present a false sense of reality about the person who you just bought $75 worth of sushi for.

If you really want to get to know someone, you should do it in a setting that isn't tainted by a profuse amount of social scripts and expectations. A setting that's more conducive to being yourself than being the person your Tinder profile promised you were.

Enter happy hour, also known as "the most casual place on earth." Happy hour is the end-all-be-all of perfect places to get to know your future ex. Here's why.

1. At happy hour, your date isn't the only person you have to talk to

When you take you date to happy hour, you're surrounded by people who aren't your date. This is good for two reasons. First, it gives you an out if your date is a terrible conversationalist. Maybe they won't stop talking about their ex, maybe they won't start talking about anything because their natural stoicism has fed their lifelong illusion that they're invisible. Either way, look! Over there! There's 50 other people you could talk to if the person you brought there doesn't know how to speak. Second, it gives you a chance to see how they interact with other people. It'll become apparent if their introverted or extroverted, assholic or nice, funny or dumb when they're in the presence of other people.

On regular dates, there's an expectation that'll it'll just be you two all night, which sounds great, it really does, but it's hard to get a good idea of who someone is when they only have to be one facet of themselves in front of you: the facet that's trying to bring this date from the mini-golf course to the bedroom.

2. You can invite your friends

When you're in a casual, booze-soaked group setting, there's a lot less pressure to enact social scripts. It's a lot harder to answer innane questions about what you majored in college if you're both laughing at some hilarious story their friend is telling about that time they went to Vegas. Even better, going out with all your friends means you can get their opinion about your date, and see if you like hanging out with their friends. Killing all the birds here.

3. You can drink all the drinks

Happy hour, by nature, invites you to drink as many orange-berry-martini-daquiris as you damn well please. The whole point is to drink. Why else would drinks be half-priced and wholly boozy?  Imagine if you tried to down six whiskey-vodkas at the upscale Applebee's your date brought you to. You'd be a very expensive, very alcoholic-seeming date. But at happy hour? You're just doing you.

Plus, getting a little tipsy will bring out both of your true selves. All the expectations of the night start to melt away when they start telling you about how they're going to school for law, but all they really ever wanted to do was breed champion French Bulldogs on a riverboat in Missouri.

4. It's cheaper

What's better than dinner and drinks with your future ex? Half-priced dinner and drinks with your future ex. At happy hour, you can spend a fraction of what you would on a traditional date on nervousness-slaying libations. Maybe you can use all that money you didn't spend on a cab home from their house in the morning? Just throwing out ideas here.

5. It's like a relaxing fun spa

You know what's relaxing? Going for a drink after work with someone who may or may not fuck you later. You know what's not relaxing? Trying to figure out what kind of food your date is in the mood while you try to select  an outfit to wear that'll give off the impression that you're a nice, normal target market male or female aged 18-35.

Happy hour is a no-pressure type of situation. Whereas taking someone on a date says "I'm looking for a serious relationship … what's your blood type?" happy hour tells your date, "I don't know what I'm looking for, but let's hang out and see where things go. Also, pass the pitcher."

When you go to happy hour with someone, you don't have to wonder if you're suddenly dating. You don't have to fret about how long you should wait to call them afterwards. You don't have to worry about getting to know their friends, because shit, you just did. When you start things off causal, your subsequent interactions can take on a more casual vibe. And when things feel casual, you feel relaxed, and it's a lot easier to be yourself.

And that, kids, is why if you want to find true love, you should start by buying your date a $1 mystery can at happy hour tonight, while 20 of your closest friends watch.