Your path to meeting that special someone starts right here.
Everyone is seeking love in this life, of one sort or another. Whether they admit it or not, we have a deep, innate yearning to love and be loved in return. To feel wanted, appreciated, supported, and, yes, needed is a character trait hardwired into the deepest codes of our DNA, not a mere chemical reaction to external stimuli or some abstract evolutionary process designed to ensure the propagation of the species. Love is humanity’s glimpse of the ethereal in this mortal life; an indescribable, unknowable, unsearchable element that transcends geography, culture, language… and who knows, perhaps even time and space itself!?
Aristotle once mused that true love was “a single soul inhabiting two bodies”, and maybe – just maybe – the esteemed Greek philosopher and all-round polymath had a point!
But finding that true, abiding, and everlasting one genuine love in our life is another matter entirely. Some people search their whole lives for it, some are blessed enough to get it while others continue searching in vain. Someone once wrote back in the immemorial mists of time that “lucky is the person who finds their true love for they have gained everything” and it’s hard to argue with that.
But where do you start looking to find that true love if you haven’t already?
For many folks, and increasingly so, the search for love is on dating sites. And there’s no shortage of sites to choose from, over 8,000 in fact, covering every niche, interest, fad, and fetish you can imagine (and some you can’t, probably!). It is estimated that some 324 million souls worldwide are searching for love and companionship on a dating site at any given time, with the industry itself worth a staggering $5.6 billion.
But what if you meet someone who you think just might be that special person to share the rest of your life with? For this article, we will list 5 time-honored rules that will hopefully help to guide you in the direction of cupid’s arrow…
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Intent
Before registering on a dating site, it’s important to first know exactly what it is you are looking for from a potential matching partner. Are you searching for a long-term relationship, marriage, something more (ahem) ‘short term’, perhaps mere friendship? Whatever it is, you need to be clear, unambiguous, and upfront about your intentions from the outset so other people know exactly where you are coming from and where they stand with you. But you don’t necessarily need to commit yourself to a serious relationship right away, you can let fellow daters know what you hope for should the right person come along but that you’re also more than happy to take your time and let things develop naturally. Be clear but also be flexible.
Location
Once you know your own intentions regarding online dating, then it’s important to seek out the dating site that is right for you. Granted, there’s no shortage of choice but you don’t have to wade through scores of sites to find the correct one. Google what kind of sites are most popular, go on forums and read reviews, perhaps even ask friends in confidence who you know may have met their significant others online. In defining your own intentions and hopes for dating online, it should also consequently define the type of dating site you should register on. But DO NOT send any dating site money or enter your payment card details until you are sure of their veracity.
Commonality
The old saying goes that “opposites attract” and that can indeed prove true in some cases, but when trying to find a matching partner online, it’s best to look for common interests and character traits, at least to start with. Upon registering on a dating site, you invariably are asked to fill in an extensive character profile, wherein not just your personal details are requested but also your interests, hobbies, personality traits, and what you hope to achieve through the site. It’s important to be honest with these questions as it will not only help other people see you for who you are – and potentially form a connection – but also allow the dating site’s algorithm to display matching potential partners in a gallery for you to view, saving you valuable time.
Photos
It’s not just your personal details that will provoke interest in a potential match, it’s also your profile photo. In fact, the photo may be the most important part of your profile overall. Studies show that whilst ‘surfing’ dating profiles online, the photo of a particular profile is often the thing that generates initial interest enough to read the personality profile itself. Those same studies show that people spend approximately 1.5 seconds on average looking at a profile and deciding whether to continue reading or not. So choosing the correct photo is an imperative. Pick a photo – or create one – that not only reflects the personage you wish to project but also suits what type of relationship you hope to achieve through the site.
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Honesty
Above all other considerations when looking for that lifetime love on a dating site, the most important one is honesty… this cannot be stressed enough. Being open and honest and forthright (with some discretion where needed) when talking to a potential match is your best chance in finding true love online. Be yourself, and if that doesn’t work with someone then no worries, there’s plenty more fish in the sea (proverbially speaking). Honesty will cut through initial nervousness and should you meet someone you really connect with, that same honesty between you both will help cement the burgeoning relationship and give it a solid foundation to build upon going forward.
Good luck!