Mythbuster – Not everyone is 6ft on the Internet – Is it OK to Embellish on Your Profiles?
They say you should never let the truth get in the way of a good story. That sometimes a cheeky embellishment won't even matter in the grand scheme of things. Well, here's the thing, I kinda reckon it's shiz to lie on your profile. If you can't admit to being 5'9 and 3/4 or that you are not a size 0, then quite frankly there are bigger issues.
I raise the issue of the online embellishment because on two separate occasions in the last two weeks, I have had people I know, go on dates and not get what they were sold in a profile. I get a little bit narky nancy when this happens and this blog is about why.
I know that men that aren't 6ft get annoyed that so many women want tall dudes. I have had this conversation countless times and no matter how much it's discussed, it's not going to help you grow that extra few inches. How do you compete with that? I have had people ask me when discussing the perils of height in the love finding world. My answer is always to be honest. If people are wanting people over 6ft, then best of luck to them, they have just cut off a fairly sizeable portion of the population. But then there are the peeps, who just want someone a bit taller than them that get fed little whiteys and quite frankly it just annoys them. In the end, it becomes so much more about the obvious lie in miscalculation of verticality that the actual virtual challenge itself. You tell a fib and sometimes people get p*ssed.
Which brings me to another source of annoyance the pictures that are not recent. Like sometimes not even in this decade. Men and women alike play this one. We all like to think that there is little difference in us over the last half to full decade, but I am here to tell you, there often is and this is often not a bad thing. I have been asked many times to look at people's profile pics, of which the question always arises, is this pic too old? If you're asking, it is.
In almost every instance, as lovely as the old photo is, a more recent one is just as lovely. At the end of the day, you are on an app to meet people IRL, so they are going to see you. Keep 'em real peeps and if you must embellish, maybe just use a good filter or something. 21 year old you on a European holiday is fun, but 32 year old you on a European holiday is just as fun, actually funner cause you're not back packing and you can eat in proper restaurants. You do you at 32, boo!
Aesthetics aside, the biggest annoyance with embellishments on apps often comes long after the right has been swiped or the eyes have been locked, and that my friends is the omission of key details of people's lives. Little bombs that get dropped into conversation over your first drink that just shiz you to tears…
On more than one occasion I had a divorce or child bomb dropped on me. I love children and I get that 1 in 3 end in divorce so the odds of meeting up with someone in either of these situations are high, particularly when you exit your 20's. I would have been fine to date a person in either of these situations as well, but something immediately throws you off when it gets dropped on you on a date. In fact you go from being shocked, to incredulous, did they not think you would be able to process that info earlier and just wanted to get on a date to do that? It's bonkers and it's bad. You've gotta be honest about these big things in your life, they are what define you and in the way of children, a lot of the time what makes you whole. So bloody share that info. People will be able to deal with it and if they can't, not for you!
This blog feels a bit more agro then my others, but I feel like it's an important topic to talk about. Not to shame people who may have lied but just to let people know that if you are a 5'8 divorced man, guess what, you are likely to find love again by telling the truth. Same goes ladies, if you are a big booty busted girl with sass and style, some dude out there will treat you like his queen and love every bit about you. This does also lead me to a more light hearted story I am looking into around fun facts people have been told on a date, that have changed their perception of someone. If you want to share any with me, send me an email!
