Little White Lie
- Wednesday, August 24 2011 @ 10:05 am
- Contributed by: Jet
- Views: 1,556
It’s like something out of a sitcom: Kelly has been emailing a man she met through an online dating site. So far, they’ve really hit it off. After they’d exchanged a few emails, the man mentioned while in an instant messaging conversation that he was an avid birdwatcher.
“Birdwatching? I love it,” Kelly typed, hitting enter before she could think further. See, the problem is, Kelly doesn’t know the first thing about birdwatching - she was just wrapped up with excitement about all the things they really did have in common. It was a tiny white lie - but unfortunately for Kelly, she chose to lie about exactly the wrong hobby. The man she’s been conversing with became incredibly excited about the notion that they share this hobby - and now Kelly doesn’t know how to get out of the pickle that her big mouth (fingers?) have put her in.
Lying is never conducive to any relationship, but it can be especially harmful in the world of online dating. There’s still a stigma when it comes to online dating - even if you’re posting completely honest photos and information, and in fact, are probably more honest than someone you’d meet down at a bar - there’s still an element of distrust because you’re not meeting face-to-face at first. Well-meaning friends and family who haven’t tried online dating only foster that suspicion by voicing their own fears and apprehensions.
As a result, people tend to be even more on the lookout for signs of dishonesty - and even a little white lie, which many might do at the beginning of a relationship, can put a fragile, growing relationship in jeopardy. So why run the risk? There’s no shame in admitting you’re inexperienced in a sport, or ignorant about an event in the news. Everyone already knows that they shouldn’t lie about their appearance, but few realize how often lying goes on in small talk when they’re trying to make a good impression.
Striving for total honesty helps far more than it hurts. And by being honest, if your budding relationship truly begins to bloom, you won’t have any embarrassing white lies to eventually untangle! Why not start a good habit now?
“Birdwatching? I love it,” Kelly typed, hitting enter before she could think further. See, the problem is, Kelly doesn’t know the first thing about birdwatching - she was just wrapped up with excitement about all the things they really did have in common. It was a tiny white lie - but unfortunately for Kelly, she chose to lie about exactly the wrong hobby. The man she’s been conversing with became incredibly excited about the notion that they share this hobby - and now Kelly doesn’t know how to get out of the pickle that her big mouth (fingers?) have put her in.
Lying is never conducive to any relationship, but it can be especially harmful in the world of online dating. There’s still a stigma when it comes to online dating - even if you’re posting completely honest photos and information, and in fact, are probably more honest than someone you’d meet down at a bar - there’s still an element of distrust because you’re not meeting face-to-face at first. Well-meaning friends and family who haven’t tried online dating only foster that suspicion by voicing their own fears and apprehensions.
As a result, people tend to be even more on the lookout for signs of dishonesty - and even a little white lie, which many might do at the beginning of a relationship, can put a fragile, growing relationship in jeopardy. So why run the risk? There’s no shame in admitting you’re inexperienced in a sport, or ignorant about an event in the news. Everyone already knows that they shouldn’t lie about their appearance, but few realize how often lying goes on in small talk when they’re trying to make a good impression.
Striving for total honesty helps far more than it hurts. And by being honest, if your budding relationship truly begins to bloom, you won’t have any embarrassing white lies to eventually untangle! Why not start a good habit now?
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