In the world of online dating misrepresentation is at an all time
high. Janice, a fitness enthusiast, was excited about her e-mail
exchange with Rob. He seemed to share her interest in fitness and the
outdoors. They wrote about mountain biking, skiing and golfing. Rob
suggested an interest in these activities, but never mentioned once
having engaged in any of them.
When Janice and Rob met it became apparent that he was not a fitness
or outdoors enthusiast. In real life he also looked much older than in
the picture that accompanied his online profile. He had misrepresented
himself to impress Janice. Needless to say, they parted after their
first face-to-face encounter with mixed feelings. Discovering
incompatibility in e-mail exchanges becomes much easier if you follow
these tips:
BE TRUTHFUL in your own description. While mingling among singles in a
highly competitive environment you may be tempted to paint your very
best picture. Putting your best foot forward does not mean inflating
your image or exaggerating in your profile. The key to finding a
compatible love is being authentic instead of pretending to be what
you are not. Being real may not guarantee a huge number of online
dates, but if you are serious about, love the bottom line is quality,
not quantity. To find a like-minded date, don't play games. When your
profile rings true, you will probably attract someone who is also
truthful.
DIG DEEPER once you have begun your email exchange. Ask questions
about his or her life, values, beliefs, hobbies, likes and dislikes.
Rephrase your questions in subsequent e-mails and compare the answers.
Continue to go back to the person's profile and look for
discrepancies. For example, to verify a person's age, ask when they
either left high school or graduated from university. To find out if
he or she really loves hiking, ask where they usually hike. To check
employment, ask what he or she does during a regular workday and if
they enjoy their work. Aaron believed he was e-mailing the kindest
girl until he asked Kyra about her relationship with