Whatever your dealbreaker is, they can sometimes take a while to reveal themselves.When it comes to online dating, however, we develop an entirely new set of dealbreakers specifically targeted at dating profiles. We’re all guilty of reading through someones profile, finding something we don’t like and immediately moving on. Here are some of mine.
Poor spelling and grammar
I like to get picky right off the bat. When I see a profile riddled with spelling and grammar errors, I immediately write the person off. I’m sure they’re still a nice person, but a bad profile tells me that they’re either dumb (and I don’t want to date them) or they don’t care enough to put forth the effort of spell check (and I don’t want to date them). It’s not that difficult to have someone proofread your writing, or to read it back to yourself outloud. This is not AOL Instant Messenger from 1998; this is your first impression on people. Make it a good one.
Opposite interests
I know the old adage of opposites attract, but only to a certain extent. If you’re a Vikings fan and I’m a Steelers fan, I can probably look past our minor differences because we both enjoy football as a common ground. But if you go on and on about how much you love camping and that you go hunting every weekend because you just love the great outdoors, we’re going to have a problem. I’m not a woods-y gal. I appreciate nature from a distance, and while I’m happy to encourage my significant other to spend a boys weekend in the woods, I am not about to put on some boots and hike up there myself. I’d rather spend my weekends exploring museums in the city, trying new restaurants, seeing a movie or cooking dinner, and that probably won’t fit into a strict camping schedule very well.
Excessive cliches
I love to laugh and have fun. I work hard and am very career focused but I can also let loose on the weekend. I’m looking for someone who likes to go out but also likes to spend a night cuddling on the couch watching a movie. I’m really laid back and hate drama.
Yes, we get it. You are all sorts of contradictions, but so are the rest of us. Who doesn’t love laughing or having fun? Who likes to be uptight and drowning in drama? No one. These phrases appear in every single person’s profile, and it makes me want to bang my head against the wall. We ALL like those things, so skip the generalized cliches and tell me something interesting. I’d rather hear about your Cabbage Patch doll collection that to hear that you love to laugh.
Bonus: The Ex Talk
I don’t see this very often, but when I do, YIKES. There is no casual way to bring up a past relationship in a dating profile. It can be assumed that everyone has at least one past relationship – no need to prove it. That’s the kind of information that can wait until the 3rd or 4th date (or better yet, never!)
What are your dating profile dealbreakers? Am I being too harsh with mine?
