onlinedating

Photo ©  Lynn Davis - www.freerangestock.com

One of the most common complaints when it comes to online dating is dishonesty in profiles. The crimes range from fudging facts to posting outdated or doctored photos.

In the fudged facts category, the most commonly lied about items are height, weight/build, income/profession, and marital status.

If you really are seeking a match, it is crucial that you just be yourself – and be honest about who you are. Post close-up face shots as well as body shot photos that are current. At least every several months, update them. Where possible, label the photos in your profile in such a way that the date they were taken is included. Do what you can to ensure that your photos accurately portray what you really look like.

Worried someone may not like your appearance? Fact is beauty really is in the eye of the beholder. Everyone has his or her preferences, and their special little things that create the hot flames of attraction. What does is matter if someone does not like your nose or your height? They are not a match, so their opinion is irrelevant. Someone out there will find your nose and your height to be perfect for him or her. That is who matters. That is who you want to attract, and that is with whom you want to be.

I personally know a wide assortment of people who have found their match through online dating websites. These people range from beautiful to plain, very short to very tall, very thin to very overweight, having great health to fighting cancer, unemployed to wealthy, etc. They say there is a lid for every pot. What I have observed in my own experiences confirms this.

When writing your profile be sure to let your amazing personality shine through. Go beyond the standard summary of whom you are and who you are seeking. Those things are important, but they represent only the skeleton of who you are. Flesh your profile out with a funny story, an explanation as to why you are passionate about Beethoven or a description of the unique things you are currently doing with your life. Not everyone takes harpsichord lessons, dances in the rain, and makes homemade Polynesian food.

Remember to show who you are, but leave a lot for others to find out as they date you. Most people hate long profiles and will click out of them rather than read them. As they say in show business, “Leave them wanting more.” A sure-fire way to garner contact is to do just that – share enough to get interest, but leave enough out that he or she will contact you in order to find out more.

Leave the bitterness in your shrink’s office. Hateful diatribes about the exes masquerading as profiles are total turn-offs. If you are still filled with rage, pain, or bitterness, perhaps getting counseling and taking time to do some healing right now is more important to your own well-being than trying to find a date.

Finally, have a couple friends or family members review your photos and profile. Use their insight into who you are to help you fine-tune your profile for your best chance of success. Make sure to check your profile for spelling and grammatical errors. Use punctuation and paragraphs. The better your profile looks and the easier it is to read, the better your odds for getting responses.

Today’s Question: What is your biggest pet peeve about online dating profiles?

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