I was on Match.com the other day and saw Elizabeth Hurley online. How exciting and, truth be told, how surprising. For one, I thought she was married and yet there she was looking for long term. Second, I happen to know that the picture she posted was at least 8 years old (not to mention a bit blurry), which is a little bit deceptive, let’s face it.
Nevertheless I was pretty giddy. I mean, Elizabeth Hurley was online dating!
I then started scanning all the other big dating sites for more celebrity spotting. I saw Alain Delon, a French actor, on Plenty of Fish. He’s the handsomest, 70 something I know, but I was put off by the fact that his photo was at least a half a century old. What’s up with that? It made Liz’s little discrepancy seem like nothing more than a white lie.
I then scanned Lavalife and guess who I saw? Pam Anderson! It was a black and white photo, which I don’t usually recommend. In addition, it was shot at a distance, which I also don’t recommend. Still, what small details were missing, she more than made up for by being bigger than life.
It wasn’t until I saw Madonna on a senior’s site that I became suspicious. Madonna with someone who doesn’t spend his allowance on acne cream? Come on! That didn’t make sense at all. I finally realized that celebrities probably don’t use popular online dating sites like the rest of us and those photos were fakes.
Gee, no kidding.
The sad truth is that people post fake pictures. Some post pictures of themselves that are years or pounds out of date. Others post pictures of people who don’t even share a hair follicle let alone full DNA. The reason why I say “sad” truth is that it doesn’t end with happily ever after.
People don’t like being tricked. People don’t like being lied to. If you think that after a few emails or calls someone will like you enough to forgive your deception, you’re delusional. If you think that they’ll like you enough to accept you, however you look, you’re delusional. If you think that they’ll think you were worth the time they wasted, you’re delusional.
I say “delusional” in the true sense of the word and with no sarcasm or contempt. I genuinely believe that you need psychiatric help because your grip on human behavior and reality is unsafe for you.
False advertising gets people angry. Companies get sued, fined, and even shut down for making false claims. If you are outrageously deceptive about your looks, you set yourself up for rejection and, potentially, the onslaught of a betrayed person’s anger.
If you aren’t confident about who you are when you start online dating, then get a professional ad writer (me!) to write your online dating profile. A profile that presents you in a positive light will also make you see yourself in a positive light so that you don’t go around trying to trick people into dating you.
To help you pick some of your most best traits and most charming quirks – everyone has them – be sure to fill out the fun free personality quiz. You can also get some pointers by checking out the samples.
