How to Evaluate Potential Dating Matches

So your dating profile has been successful in attracting a few matches, and now it's time to weed through the potential first-date material and the "no thanks" material. First of all, I just want to tell you that there's no way to tell for sure who's right for you and who isn't. There are, however, several things you can look at when deciding whether a potential match is right for you or not.

Your Match's Profile

Take a good look at your match's profile. The more information you can get from that person's profile, the better. People who take the time to fill out all the information and give details about themselves are more likely to be serious about meeting good people.

If you find a small profile that doesn't list anything other than the most basic of information, there are too many variables to make it worth taking the time to figure that person out.

Your Match's Picture

Don't feel bad for weeding out matches that don't attract you. In dating, there has to be some physical attraction because otherwise you're just shortchanging the other person. If your match isn't the prettiest thing in the world but has managed to make you laugh or catch your attention in some other way, you might just want to give it a go.

Red Flags

Red flags are little indications that something may be wrong with your match. An example of a red flag would be someone whose profile picture doesn't match with their profile description, or it may be something as harmless as a mistype, but it should still be noted.

Other red flags are too serious to give the benefit of the doubt. If you find a profile picture that's obviously fake (a picture you've seen elsewhere on the internet), you need to block that person immediately. If your match recently got out of prison, tells any obvious lies, or tells you to visit a website for more information, you should block them.

Initial Contact

You can't read too much into the initial contact message because it's kind of an awkward thing for anyone to write. Give your match a bonus if their message gets your attention in a good way. If they say anything creepy, block them. There's no reason to continue with that person if they say something weird right off the bat.

Take it Slow

No well-meaning person will pressure you to meet them before you're ready. All decent people understand that people are hesitant to meet right off the bat. If someone is pushing you to meet up with them, block them. A more normal progression would be to exchange a few e-mails back and forth, talk on the phone a few times, and then meet up in a public place.

Just remember that finding the right match isn't a cut and dry process. The internet is a wonderful tool for communication but it does have its limitations. The most important thing in selecting your matches is to move at your own pace and get to know people before you meet them. It takes time to meet the right person but rushing it only makes the whole process take even longer.