Honesty Starts With Yourself
- Saturday, May 12 2012 @ 07:50 am
- Contributed by: Jet
- Views: 1,489
In online dating, one of the obvious benefits is that you control the first impression you make. Your readers see what you want them to see - like your interest in foreign films, as opposed to your retail uniform. The picture where you’re dressed in an outfit you like, instead of in sweats at the grocery store. In some ways, the profiles might be a bit misleading, because we’re obviously not at our best all day, every day. On the other hand, however, online profiles can be far more honest and revealing than the typical small talk at the post office.
Some people have found online profiles are almost a form of therapy - writing about ourselves isn’t a very common activity, and for some, constructing a profile helps them sort out their own thoughts. “I decided to make a profile pretty quickly after ending a long-term relationship,” says Michelle, an acquaintance. “I’d been in a relationship for so long that when I sat down to write the profile, I had to really think about what interests were, as opposed to what I’d just fallen into through my ex. It helped me figure out who I really was.”
For others, online profiles help them discover another side of themselves. “I’m an art teacher at an elementary school. Pretty much everyone thinks of me as a nice but bland guy,” says Michael. “I’d never be called mysterious or intriguing. I realized I wanted to present a different side of myself, so I had my old roommate, a photographer, take some ‘brooding’ photos. I know I have two sides of myself, and now I can represent that through images.”
Of course, when we better understand ourselves, we better understand what we’re looking for, and thus can be even more accurate in our profiles. Readers can get a better sense of whether they’d be a good match. And since you’re being more honest about your needs with yourself, you’ll be able to read their profiles with a clearer head.
Thus, perhaps the polish and shine of a well-edited profile isn’t what hides the truth - it’s that we hide it from ourselves. By giving serious thought to creating a well-written and honest profile, you’ll wind up with something that is raw and revealing - despite being well-edited and well-lit.
Some people have found online profiles are almost a form of therapy - writing about ourselves isn’t a very common activity, and for some, constructing a profile helps them sort out their own thoughts. “I decided to make a profile pretty quickly after ending a long-term relationship,” says Michelle, an acquaintance. “I’d been in a relationship for so long that when I sat down to write the profile, I had to really think about what interests were, as opposed to what I’d just fallen into through my ex. It helped me figure out who I really was.”
For others, online profiles help them discover another side of themselves. “I’m an art teacher at an elementary school. Pretty much everyone thinks of me as a nice but bland guy,” says Michael. “I’d never be called mysterious or intriguing. I realized I wanted to present a different side of myself, so I had my old roommate, a photographer, take some ‘brooding’ photos. I know I have two sides of myself, and now I can represent that through images.”
Of course, when we better understand ourselves, we better understand what we’re looking for, and thus can be even more accurate in our profiles. Readers can get a better sense of whether they’d be a good match. And since you’re being more honest about your needs with yourself, you’ll be able to read their profiles with a clearer head.
Thus, perhaps the polish and shine of a well-edited profile isn’t what hides the truth - it’s that we hide it from ourselves. By giving serious thought to creating a well-written and honest profile, you’ll wind up with something that is raw and revealing - despite being well-edited and well-lit.
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