I was surprised a few days ago to see so many dudes assume that, to be found exciting, they had to break laws, deal drugs or spending oodles of money.

To me, fun/exciting date is just a date that you get a little more creative about to make it stand out as more memorable than the boring dinner-and-a-movie fare. It not only has the benefit of making you stand out from other dates, but you also are doing something interesting enough that, even if your date is boring, you're at least entertained by the activity itself. (Some examples that I've had a blast with - Wine-tasting at a butterfly sanctuary, attending an agricultural fair where we got to pet goats and rabbits, visiting Body Worlds to see all the artful cadavers, taking a boat tour of an ancient lock system ect.)

It's hardly taking a girl along on a drive by shooting. It's just being creative enough to do literally anything beyond the generic bare minimum (and often requires less money, too!)

Why is the idea of "Fun/Exciting" so hard for some people to visualize in the wild?