Oxford entrepreneur and man about town Max Mason, 37, shares his views on love and life...

I’ve been on way too many dates already this year; dinners, theatres, boat-trips, pubs and even a trip or two to London Town. But each date has been not with a new potential future partner, they have all been with ex-girlfriends. It’s a puzzling approach, but somewhere within me (and clearly within them), there’s obviously a reason to be keeping clear of new territory and I’ve been trying to work out why.

It’s certainly not from a fear of the unknown, I love to find out about new women. I maintain a persistent hope that they’ll provide something I’ve not seen from any of the past candidates for a fulfilling partnership.

It’s also not because there is any shortage of new women, the dating sites are teeming with people at this time of year, determined to rid themselves of the bad relationships of 2013, to find their worthwhile partner for 2014.

Friends and family, often confused at seeing such great, eligible ladies with a berk like me, are quite open in asking all of the girls who spend time with me, once we’ve ended formal relationships ‘What’s going on?’ Wondering why they seemingly “punish” themselves with staying around. Yet none of them seem to find the dynamic punishing – it has benefits for both myself and for the respective ladies. I think that a large part of their contentment may well be down to my seemingly anachronistic belief that chivalry and being fair, generous and fun is about the most important attribute to any man’s existence. It sets up a man’s stall; says he’d be a fair father, a decent businessman and an overall good egg. It also means you get the greatest feeling, in return, for having made a woman feel special. It’s the easiest skill for a man to have, yet so many men seem to think it unnecessary or old fashioned.

I do wonder whether at the age of 38, my fathering instincts are instructing me to review all likely past candidates and see if, on second pass, we find one another more tolerable. The truth is that I’ve not spent any time in relationships with anyone I now regret – they are all great girls and I’m lucky to count many of them as “close” friends to this day. I understand how the ladies tick, I understand their humour, their emotional needs and they know mine, but none of us have had to engage in a full relationship. We go out for dinners, there’s a healthy competition between each of the ladies and I’m left wondering whether a full-time permanent relationship is what I want at all.