If you're too shy to ask a girl out or even ask her name, you're not going to be dating much.

Find the balance between making an effort and trying too hard. That is the key to the art of dating.

Just seek out women you'd want to be friends with and get to know them. If you're feeling a connection, that's when you make a move. The worst that could happen is she might turn you down.

Just to test this line of thinking, I posed your question to a male colleague in my office. He assures me that boldness is a beautiful thing to behold.

The guy's perspective?

"Tell him to play the law of averages," my friend said, meaning you might get rejected, but not everyone will reject you.

(My friend then launched into a story about how his friend used to park himself at the table at the bar closest to the ladies' room. When a woman would come walking out of the restroom, his friend would try to strike up a conversation. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't, and his friend developed a thick skin. I cannot recommend this approach, as guys who park themselves next to ladies' rooms are more likely to be complete creeps. But the moral of the story is you have to be open to seizing opportunities.)