All posts tagged with online dating advice

Online dating and deep crimson red flags.

Some online dating profiles are the literary equivalent of Scandal. There’s drama, anger, betrayal, intrigue, even surprise confessions. Today I read the dating profile of a woman who proudly asserted that she keyed her ex’s car. She added “lol” after that admission. I admit these are delicious reads. Lunacy often is. That said, red flags aren’t usually so obvious. Most have more subtle (though no less disquieting) clues. Here are my top six red flags of online dating. If you… read more

The guilty online dating profile writer is here.

Usually, you can come here and get a lot of good advice on online dating (and even better advice on writing your online dating profile). However, I’ve been swamped. Besides writing dating profiles, I’m busy trying to develop a confidence-building personal branding course for men. A version for women will follow. Once things settled down a bit, I’ll be right back to blogging. My apologies. In the meantime, please feel free to look through the archives for solid tips on how… read more

What Tyrion can teach us about personal branding and online dating.

Tyrion Lannister stands under four and half feet tall. He also has short arms and a big head. Yet, despite his physical shortcomings, he’s one of the most compelling and beloved characters in Game of Thrones. Rather than apologize for what he lacks, he constantly amplifies his sizable qualities. He’s a man of courage and principle. He’s also strikingly intelligent and sardonic. His incisive remarks are enough to bring adversaries to their knees (or his!). He’s a critical, independent thinker… read more

One dating profile. Five red flags.

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… read more

Online dating and fireworks.

It’s the fourth of July weekend when my mind turns to fireworks. Then it turns ever so slightly more and leads me straight to thoughts of online dating, specifically online dating profiles. Do you know how many profiles have variations of “we’ll know when we meet”? I was online for no more than five minutes and found 16. All were followed by the 1) naive 2) lazy 3) imposing assertion that this eliminates any need for emails and, in some cases, complete… read more

Has online dating killed romance?

A lot of people are under the impression that online dating isn’t romantic.  The strategy and deliberation used throughout the process ruin any opportunity for spontaneity and kismet. I disagree. I think online dating has allowed romance to keep blossoming. It used to be romantic for a man to run after a woman and say, “Hey, I can’t take my eyes off you, let’s go out”.  Nowadays, that same poor schlep would get slapped with a restraining order. There’s nothing… read more

Online Dating. Is nice that bad?

I’ve had a few conversations lately about nice guys. One was prompted by an article on the Good Men Project (a site that I really like). Another took place following a client’s recent breakup. Another one occurred the other day when a friend asked, “do you ever feel you give way more than you get?” I’m conflicted about the word “nice”. In the dictionary, it’s defined in a positive way. In the thesaurus it’s associated to admirable words. Yet, in… read more

The worst time to be online dating (it’s not what you think).

The other day a neighbor said she was going to start online dating. A boyfriend had just ended their relationship and, according to her, she needed an ego boost. An ego boost? That’s oddly conceited for someone whose self-esteem is suffering (not to mention shallow, insincere and presumptuous). More importantly, it’s misguided. If you’re suffering from low self-esteem then you’re also suffering from low expectations for yourself. The two go hand in hand. As such, going online at this time… read more

Online dating and why “favorites” can make you unpopular.

Here’s the thing about being added to someone’s favorite list: you’re not really a favorite. You’re one of that person’s favorites and that’s significantly less flattering. This is especially galling when the person adds you as a favorite and then doesn’t get back to you for a while. When this happens, it gives the impression that he or she will “get to you” once they’ve contacted their other, more favorite, favorites. Can you see how labeling someone a favorite could… read more

Dear Online Dater: I think you found the love of your life – and it’s you.

Tall, dark, handsome and intelligent man looking for compatible partner. People who meet me always tell me I’m beautiful but, what you can’t tell from looking at me, is that I’m beautiful on the inside too. Those lines you just read?  I actually saw them on a dating site I scanned the other day. Both dating profiles were tremendously appealing, but probably only to me and for all the wrong reasons. I love bad marketing. It gives me private self-satisfied… read more