Sometimes reading dating profiles is the literary equivalent of watching a “Real Housewives” show.
There’s anger, drama and even shocking confessions (like the dating profile of a woman who gleefully admitted that she finally put out a restraining order on her ex).
Admittedly they’re delicious to read.
Nevertheless, not all online dating profiles are as unmistakably mad as a Teresa Giudice meltdown. Some have more subtle (though no less disquieting) clues. Here are five that I’ve noticed. Feel free to add any of your own.
The “I’ll give this site another chance” dating profile.
Singles who add this to their dating profiles have clearly been online dating for a while and it’s affected their outlook.
People who choose to engage in a behavior that makes them unhappy have only themselves to blame. No one has to online date. To continue to do so is a choice. It shows poor judgment and a penchant for negativity, if not personal sabotage.
Worse still, by blaming a dating site (or the singles online) also shows a complete lack of responsibility for the choices being made.
The “I’ll date anyone” dating profile.
Be a little skeptical when responding to a dating profile that indicates a desired age range that spreads over 20 years or more. It could be suggestive of someone who’s desperate to find anyone instead of the right one.
Just as we tend to resonate with certain types of looks, we also tend to be attracted to certain types of personalities in terms of interests, goals priorities and where they are in their life stage. Generally speaking, a man or woman who would be attracted to a 20-year old match is not as likely to be every bit as compatible with a 50-year old one.
So broach this person a little carefully and be sure that they have healthy boundaries and expectations for themselves.
The “Let’s talk about me…a lot” dating profile.
Dating profiles are meant to provide the reader with a glimpse of a potential match’s personality. It’s not meant to be a biography and especially not meant to be a diary.
Dating profiles that are exceedingly long could be indicative of someone who’s needy of attention. Those that are too revealing could be indicative of someone with poor boundaries and judgment.
The “Let’s talk about you…a lot” dating profile.
Dating profiles that say very little about the person, but go on and on about what they’re looking for in a match could be the sign of someone who’s demanding, critical and unrealistic.
There’s a certain immaturity to someone whose ideal is listed right down to the color of hair (I actually saw a dating profile that required a brunette match!).
The “down on drama” dating profile.
When someone begs off drama on a dating profile, not only do they sound negative, they also sound like the very people they don’t want to attract – drama queens and kings. I mean, really, if they have to bring it up before even emailing a match, let alone meeting them, then one can only assume that, to be so gun shy, they’ve attracted a lot of theatrics.
When you see a dating profile like this, be cautious. However, don’t be overly cautious. Sometimes people write “don’t want drama” simply because they see it so often on dating profiles that they think it’s important so they add it too.
In this case, as with all dating profiles, consider the whole. If you read a great profile and there’s one little red flag, don’t be too quick to judge. It never hurts to have a few email exchanges on the site just to see if it’s the exception and not the rule.
A note about safety for both men and women.
Be sure to read 10 online dating safety tips every woman should know. The tips are important for women. However men need to read them too so that they can better understand how to properly broach a virtual stranger.
How to write the perfect dating profile.
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Have a look at my online dating profile samples and testimonials or just get started here with the personality profile then send your answers to me. You’ll be amazed at what I can do with them.
