Adventures In Online Dating

Well I've been on a dating website for three weeks as of today, and I have to say, this is certainly an interesting way to meet people. It has it's ups and downs. Some people you encounter are really quite interesting, and the photos they have posted make them look really attractive as well. When you meet them, however, you begin to suspect that maybe they had someone else write their profile, and that their pictures are either heavily doctored, or are quite a few years old.

Thus far I have had two first meetings, and both have ended with me loosing interest in someone I had thought was really very interesting. On the one hand, I understand that meeting someone face to face is a lot different than trading text messages on a website, it can put a lot of pressure on someone to try and make themselves look really good. At the same time, however, it seems strange to me that after trading messages for a while, if plans have been made to meet face to face then the two people must already be interested.

I really don't understand the need to lie on a dating website. As my earlier posts have suggested, I place a great deal of importance on honesty, and it seems to me that something so fundamental to success in that setting, just talking about yourself. When you are using a site to meet people, and claim to be looking for something long-term or for dating, why would you bother lying about something. Clearly this is information that the other person is going to gain eventually, and that initial lack of honesty seems to me like something that would only hurt your chances in the long run.

I think this is probably tied into our need to make ourselves fit some idea of perfection as dictated by our impressions from society and the media, but perhaps that is a post for another day.

I've essentially decided to give the site another week, then close down my profile if I haven't had any real success. I figure, by then I should have found a third person to meet face to face. If it works out, awesome, if not, three strikes, you're out.

Lisa