Blind dates are romantic meetups between two people who have never met before arranged by someone else—a mutual friend, relative or matchmaker. Maybe your best friend at work thinks you’ll really hit it off with her cute single brother. Or your mom wants you to meet up with her neighbor’s unattached daughter because she thinks you’d be perfect for each other. Perhaps you sign up for a matchmaking service and let the pros work their magic. No matter how you get there, taking the leap into blind dating can be a really rewarding experience—especially if you’re feeling burnt out on the apps and websites. Here are 11 key benefits of going on a blind date.  1. It’s a great option for busy professionals who don’t have time to swipe on dating apps.  Dating apps and sites are time-consuming, from setting up your profile and swiping through other people’s profiles, to sending and answering messages with potential partners. In fact, according to a 2018 survey, millennials in particular spend an average of 10 hours per week on dating platforms. Getting set up on a blind date, by contrast, takes just a few hours—and most of that time is spent actually going on the date.  2. It enables you to meet people without having preconceived expectations. When you go on a blind date, you’re almost definitely going into the meetup sight unseen. Aside from the fact that someone thinks you and the other person would be great for each other, you likely don’t have much more information. This allows you to go into the date without making any judgments based on the person’s appearance, hobbies or other life details. In turn, the person you’re on a date with doesn’t have any preconceived notions about you either, enabling both of you to approach the date from a fresh perspective.  3. It takes away the possibility of game-playing and duplicity. Blind dating is straightforward, especially when compared to online dating. According to a recent survey about dating apps, 71% of users believe that it’s common for people to lie in to make themselves seem more attractive, and research shows that 80% have outright lied on their profiles or in messages. Plus, when you consider that half of the people using these apps talk to as many as 5 people at once—and some even juggle as many as 11—there’s not a lot of focus on building a one-on-one connection the way there is with blind dating.  4. It encourages you to date outside your type.  Letting someone else set you up on a blind date lets you expand your horizons in ways you may not have when you’re choosing your own potential partners. Although your dating profile settings may weed out people based on their looks or their hobbies, going on a blind date helps you meet someone with similar life goals and values, which are more important requisites for finding lasting love.  5. It’s an opportunity for more curated matches. You’ll also have the