Your Dating Profile and First Impressions

We have often heard the saying that first impressions last and this is why we all work so hard to ensure that we make a great one. Think about meeting someone for the first time or going on that first date. It can be quite daunting and this becomes even truer when meeting potential singles online.

The important thing to note is that there are various factors that our mind takes into consideration when it makes a first impression. It is not just simply the way a person looks or what they do. It is a combination of all of these and then some.

Interestingly, if you were to ask a good friend what they first thought of you, it could well happen that at first they were not so fond of you, but now of course they have changed their mind. The manner in which one forms a first impression of someone else is really interesting and gaining insight into this will help you make a good first impression both on the web and in person.

First, the facial expression does play a role. If you have a smile, then people are likely to innately treat you as a friend, instead of an enemy which would be associated with a frown. Body language is also important. If you have your arms crossed then you look as if you are closed off and unapproachable. So always try to have your arms in a neutral position and ensure that you look open.

In addition, your posture and presentation is important. If you slouch then you give off an impression of not caring about your looks and this could be thought to extend into other aspects of your life. So try to have a good posture and make sure that your clothes look good - ironing is not that difficult.

Now all of this works when you are meeting the person face to face, but what about in the online dating realm? It is actually not that difficult and you will find that you can apply the same principles to this area of your life. Try and use language that is engaging and creative. Instead of just giving one word answers, try and expand a bit more. Obviously one has to be careful of going too much in the other direction and you wouldn't want to be verbose. Choose your online photos wisely, preferably a recent picture of you along with your warm, nice smile.

Various research studies have proved that first impressions do last, even if you eventually change your mind about someone. If you have a negative impression about a person when you first meet them, then it is likely to take you longer to like them.

Keep all of this in mind when you enter the world of internet dating and try to ensure that you put across a positive image of yourself. Remember, birds of a feather flock together, and you will soon find other people that are trying to make just as positive an impression as you are.

Posted at 10:42 AM on Nov 16, 2009 By 5StarDating.com