Do you bother with a second date if you're not excited about the first date?

lameboyfriend
I went through a breakup 6 months ago, and recently I've been going on a few dates, but nothing serious so far.

Most recently, I went on a first date with a woman who was attractive, easy to talk to, and had many similar interests and hobbies. But for some reason, I wasn't feeling interested in her. I didn't feel any sparks or chemisty, and I didn't feel excited about seeing her again. So I sent her a polite email letting her know I wasn't feeling it but thanks for the nice date.

She wrote back saying that sometimes you don't feel chemisty on the first date, and that it would have been better to have gone on a second date to see if chemistry developed, rather than throwing in the towel based on a few hours of talk.

I felt like it was right to trust my instincts and that I should feel excited after a first date, but I get the argument that a bad or neutral first date doesn't necessarily mean you're not compatible.

What do you think? If there's no obvious red flags and you just weren't feeling excited about the person on the first date, is it worth going on a second date, or is it better to trust your gut and not bother? Have you had situations where the first date had no fireworks/sparks/chemistry but you stuck with it and ended up with a good relationship?
Do you bother with a second date if you're not excited about the first date?
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