I recently wrote a post about dating app profiles. https://wakinguponthewrongsideof50.com/2023/03/08/is-lying-on-a-dating-app-the-norm/
I meandered around the topic of how you should word your profile: straight up truth, play with words a bit, or straight up lie. So let’s explore the differences between these three:
Per our friends at Oxford Languages:
Truth– the quality of being true: In accordance with fact or reality: accurate or exact
Exaggerate– represent (something) as being larger, better, or worse than it really is
Lie– an intentionally false statement
Look at the definitions of these words.
How do you think people explain themselves on a resume?
How do you think they explain themselves on a dating app?
If we look to definitions as being theoretical, how do we utilize them in the practical or realistic setting?
If someone posts a super flattering picture of themselves, the lighting and angle are perfect, but it’s not how they “look” on the daily…is that a lie, an exaggeration, or the truth?
If someone says they managed a team, but the team was only one person, is that a lie, an exaggeration, or the truth?
If someone says (on their resume) that they attended college, but didn’t actually graduate, is that a lie, an exaggeration, or the truth?
If someone says that they are 6 feet tall, but are really 5 foot 10 1/2, is that a lie, an exaggeration or the truth?
Hair is blonde in a picture, but they color it?
Say they are 39 but are actually 40?
Say they are proficient in a language but really can read a menu and ask for directions?
Has only taken one course in excel, but says they are highly proficient?
How often do we tell the truth when we are communicating with someone, whether it be for business or pleasure?
How often do we tell the truth to ourselves, or do we lie or exaggerate to ourselves as much, if not more, than we do to others?
Are our lives built on exaggerations both big and small?
In my questions above…are they truths, lies or exaggerations?
Discuss