Honest in Your Online Dating Profile: Shared Interests

When people begin a search for that "special someone," they become fixed on dating in general. They peruse online dating sites, looking for a match, but rarely ask themselves, "Do I have any shared interests with this person?"

Online dating, just like blind dates or dating someone you've just met, is always a gamble. You try a person on, for lack of a better term, and see if they fit. You ask each other questions such as: Are you interested in marriage? Do you want kids? Do you brush your teeth twice daily?

However, what many people fail to investigate are their shared interests. This is such a vital part of a relationship that it's folly not to consider it right from the beginning.

Of course, you don't have to be complete cookie cutter images of one another, but you do need to have some similarities. After all, if you're looking for someone who will want to go horseback riding with you, dating a person who hates horses is probably not going to be a good idea in the long run. That is, if you're dating to find a person for the long term.

Most online dating services offer an "interest" field for you to list your interests. It's important not to fudge here. If you don't like skiing, then you don't want to list skiing as an interest. Yet, so many people try to make themselves look more interesting within their online dating profile and, by doing so, are shooting themselves in the foot right from the beginning of their dating quest.

The interest field within your online dating profile is where you should put ONLY those things that are important to you. If you only go mountain hiking once in a blue moon, then it's really not imperative that your hopeful significant other list it as an interest as well. If you just simply want to look more interesting, then state something such as, "I occasionally mountain hike" in your profile. This won't intimidate those who find you interesting but don't share that interest.