I never did online dating -- not because I'm above it or anything; it actually seems like it would be fun. But it just didn't work out that way in the timeline of my life. And in a job like this, you do meet a lot of people -- probably more than the average worker in a cubicle or on a construction site. I met my partner and the mother of my son through my job. But I know a lot of people who've had pretty good luck using Match.com or eHarmony . . . or at least they've gotten some good stories out of the dates they've experienced.
I have no idea what I'd put in an online profile if I was going that route, but if you're giving it a try, I found some advice about what to leave off your profile. From time.com, Greg Langston (eHarmony's Senior Director of Social Media) lists the top five phrases you should avoid. The short version:
“Down to earth.”
Well, first of all, I don’t even really know what it means. It’s going to vary from person to person, so the term is meaningless. Even the most superficial, narcissistic person in the world thinks they’re down to earth, so that one is particularly ridiculous.
“I love to laugh.”
Who doesn’t love to laugh? It’s another thing that’s completely meaningless.
“I just want a nice guy.”
The truth of the matter is, from what I’ve seen in my time here, women don’t really want a nice guy. They want him to be a nice person, but men who are just nice aren’t very interesting to most women—not for very long anyway.
“I love life.”
What do you love about life? Give me a look inside your head because that’s what’s going to make you stand out. It’ll also give me questions to ask you when we finally do get together.
“I can’t believe I’m doing this.”
Somehow, to this day, people still want to include that in their profile as a way of saying, “You know, I really don’t need this online dating thing. I really have a line of people who want to date me.”
Time.com put this story up for Valentine's Day, but I think it's good advice whenever you're exploring the world of online dating.
You can read the whole story here. Good luck!
