Finding Meaning in Chicago Personals

Chicago personals can say a lot of things. And if you take a little time and look at more than just the pictures (though they are an important part) you can learn a lot about a person. Maybe even stuff they didn't intend to put out there.

Online dating has become known as the stomping grounds of the Less Than Truthful. In an interesting study, 20 or more.

We're a very suspicious people. When we find Chicago personals that seem to portray the perfect person, most of us are just jaded and bitter enough to not believe it. But then again, there is that portion of us who who are just naive enough to believe anything we read, and that Mr. or Ms. Right is just a couple clicks away. And, my, how it hurts when we meet in real life and suffer yet another let down when the real person doesn't have much in common with the online person we got to know.

So if so many people are... bending the truth, how are we supposed to find real Chicago personals? How can we trust that the information they're giving us is real in any way?

To be completely honest (get it?), we can't. If people are going to lie, they're going to lie. One should always, always, practice safe dating and avoid dangerous situations, but a person can put forth any or as much information as he or she wants. There's nothing we can do about it.

So the question is: what can we learn from what they actually do put in their Chicago personals?

Let's start with the pictures. Personals with pictures receive an estimated four to six times more responses than personals without. But we can learn a lot from the types of pictures that get posted with Chicago personals.

Sunglasses. The eyes are the window to the soul, so if they've got blinds over the window, what are they trying to hide? Or maybe they just think it makes them look cool. So if you're into people who are into “image”, maybe that's a good thing.

Ultra-posed. Done up and over-done. There's nothing wrong with putting your best foot forward, but if they look a little too posed, they probably are. Most of us automatically assume they're fake (in some way), which is probably a safe assumption. So when you find the over-posed, straight-out-of-a-magazine look, it just might be.

Casual pictures. These can come off as the most real pictures, but you need to look at what they are actually doing. Are they enjoying the outdoors? Wandering the city with a gaggle of friends? There are a lot of subtle hints you can pick up from these pictures. Pay attention and don't miss them.

Self portraits. Pictures with a bright flash in the middle of the mirror. An off center face and an arm reaching toward the camera. Too lazy to get a real picture for their Chicago personals? Don't see the need for some fancy schmancy pictures? Just in too much of a rush. Or maybe they just don't believe in taking serious pictures. There's a lot of possibilities here. Just remember: look for the subtle hints in their pictures to learn more about them.

What's in a word?

A lot.

When you read a given profile, pay particular attention to the words they choose. There's a fine line here between descriptions that tell you if a person is confident or cocky, humble or wussy, needy or caring, or desperate or committed.

Chicago personals where your potential matches express a belief that they are affectionate, capable, down to earth, or express a confidence in their appearance are good phrases to look for. Personals that list specific abilities that “make me great” are perhaps something you should be weary of. On the hand, “I try my best to be...” is a lot safer bet than phrases like: “I know I'm (lame, ugly, smelly, etc.), but that doesn't mean I'm not a good person”.

The online dating scene has been witness to an influx of personality profiles as a means to meet the right person. This has added a new level to the standard Chicago personals. Now, with the right online dating sites, you can receive an in-depth look at your potential match's character and how they relate to you. Some websites just give you a profile with a note attached saying: “Trust me, this person is perfect for you.” But how are you supposed to know they're right. You need to use a site that includes the test results as part of your Chicago personals and then you can begin initiating relationships based on your individual preferences and simple, common-sense decisions.

Andy Eliason is a writer at Main10. You can learn more about online dating profiles and find some great Chicago personals at HeavenlyMatched.com.