So, I’m sure all of you out there subscribe to Scientific American Mind. Well, I was reading the latest issue to-day, and I came upon an article purporting to blow the lid on the Truth of Online Dating.
Basically, it’s about how widespread lying and misrepresentation are in the online dating world. Self-reporting liars and/or misrepresenters amount for, in one study, 20% of the online population. However, when people are asked what percentage of other people they have found to be liars and/or misrepresenters, the figure jumps precipitously to 90%.
That’s a huge disconnect, obviously. Now, a clear flaw in the article is that the authors never really drive home the impact of the simple fact that misrepresentation and deception is also reflexive, i.e. people have a very distorted self-image. Basically, statistically speaking, if you’re reading this post right now you’re more likely to be of average intelligence or worse, average physical attractiveness or worse, make an average salary or worse, etc. But, for example, the percentage of people who rate themselves as being of below average physical attractiveness is appallingly low. And as those of you taking the NYC subway everyday know, that number should, if we were all more honest with ourselves and others, be MUCH higher.
So here’s my survey:
Have you ever lied and/or materially misrepresented yourself in your profile or interactions with other online daters?
(1) Yes
(2) No
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