Photos: Should you post a photo on the internet? Singles' dates and dating on the internet: Is appearance important? Photographs and pictures are important on the internet.

Should singles who are dating or wanting to date via the internet post a photo?

Internet Dating
Photos:
To Post or Not to Post?
by Margy Culp

That is a question...

Most internet singles and dating web sites offer the option of posting a photograph on-line. Many people do not take advantage of this opportunity for a variety of reasons.

It is worth the effort, however, to get a photo taken.

Understand that if you are cautious and hesitant to trust a person you meet on the Internet, other people will feel the same way.

There are numerous stories and jokes about people who have misrepresented their age and appearance on-line.

If you are sincerely interested in meeting people (as opposed to just being pen-pals) it is very important for you to be as straightforward as possible, especially in regards to your appearance.

Is appearance important? Advice for single men and women  about  dates and dating singles on the internet.

It is simply not possible for you to describe yourself physically in a way that will accurately reflect how each particular person will perceive you in person. Words are too limiting and every person interprets them differently. Thus, the old saying, "A picture is worth a thousand words".

We would all like to believe that appearance is not important. We know we should judge people more by their character than by superficial qualities.

But we are all human beings and have our own preferences. It is not wrong to be more attracted to some people than to others.

What is wrong is to claim appearance doesn't matter to us and then inevitably make choices based on appearance and hurt another person in the process.

By the time we reach adulthood, everyone has established a definite set of likes and dislikes in every area of life. Appearance is one of those areas.

It is not reasonable to expect physical perfection in another human being and the less perfect you are the less you can demand from a person who will be attracted to you. But everyone has some preferences for things like hair color, eye color, general body type, skin tone, etc. There is nothing wrong with having your own taste. That is what makes you unique.

Leading psychologists now teach that chemistry is actually caused by a feeling of recognition. Subconsciously, the people you find most attractive remind you of someone who was important to you as a child, usually one of your parents.

So there is a definite reason why you feel more "at home" with one person than another. This does not mean that you are being superficial. It just means that you feel more comfortable with the familiar. This is a perfectly normal feeling.

Psychologists have also observed that people generally wind up with someone who is about equal to them on a social and appearance level.

We seem to have some sort of unconscious point system that evaluates such things as appearance, physical fitness, career, income, social status and education. Based on the total package, each person is given a place in the hierarchy. People tend to be most comfortable having relationships with someone that is at a compatible level on the social hierarchy.

Many people believe they want someone more attractive or desirable than they perceive themselves to be. However, such relationships generally do not work out. If one person feels superior and one person inferior, it is not conducive to the growth and endurance of a healthy relationship.

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