Contributed by: EFoley on Wednesday, March 31 2010 @ 08:19 am
Last modified on
I saw a ridiculous article today (so ridiculous that it doesn't deserve to get a link from this site). In the article, the writer was trying to make the argument that people don't lie in their online dating profiles. That's right - the whole buzz about people lying in their profiles is wrong because nobody flat-out lies in their profile.
The writer went on to describe these less-than-truthful profiles as being written by "people pleasers," the kind of folks who just want everyone to like them and thus try to be everything to everybody.
So in reality, these folks aren't liars. They see themselves as taller, thinner, and generally better than their average selves.
When John describes himself as 5'9" when he's really 5'7", it's not a lie. John just really feels that he stands taller than the average guy who is 5'7". He FEELS 5'7" and that's enough, right?
When Mary describes herself as "About Average" when she's barely squeezing into a men's size 2XL shirt, she's describing the way she feels, not the pesky truth of her bumps and rolls.
Oh, and people who lie about their age? It's just a number!! They have every right to put down how old they feel they are (or how old the kid at the grocery store thinks they are when they get carded for appearing under 35).
Enough already, right?
Lying is lying is lying. It doesn't matter if you feel 34 if you're actually 42. It doesn't matter if you have shoes that make you almost 5'9" if you're really 5'7". It doesn't matter that the "average" American is overweight. If you're putting something in your profile that isn't true, it's a lie no matter what your good intentions may be.
Stay honest. Having lies in your profile may help you score a date or three in the short term, but in the long term, the person who will become your lifetime partner is going to have to want ALL of you - even the shorter, squishier, older parts. And you'll love them for all their shorter, squishier, older parts.
Hang in there, single friends.