Do you have the nagging feeling that you may not be putting your most exciting foot forward in your JDate profile? Well, worry no more, my friend. In this post I will share examples of boring, I mean, less intriguing phrases that may have found their way into your JDate profile, and then I’ll give you some replacement phrases to make each one better!
To help me with this project, I bring you Erika Ettin of A Little Nudge, a company that helps people with their online dating profiles, and… yours truly, a clinical psychologist and blogger at the hilarious and famous (come on, humor me) Dr. Psych Mom blog. So, I guess you should listen to her over me, since that’s literally what she does for a living, but whatever. Let’s listen to her now.
Hi Erika! Tell us what you think of this joint project that Dr. Rodman thrust upon you.
Well, Dr. Rodman is obviously a genius for putting both of our heads together. 😉 As she said, in online dating, it’s really hard to both catch someone’s attention AND put your best food forward. By using a few tips and tricks, that job becomes a lot easier.
So anyway, we won’t be changing the content of your profile, but just helping you sound a little more original. And who doesn’t want to stand out from the crowd? Well, me in junior high. But not you, confident JDater that you are!
Take it away, myself and Erika!
Cliché #1: “I like to go out but I’m also fine with staying in.”
My update: “I like to go hiking but also to stay home and obsessively organize my sock drawer.”
Erika’s update: “On a random Tuesday, my favorite place to go is Regent Thai to pick up my green curry shrimp (not JDate appropriate??) and then head home to watch House of Cards. But on Saturdays, I break out the dancing shoes.”
Cliché #2: “I want a partner in crime.”
My update: “I have an upcoming small claims court lawsuit against the hair stylist who burned half my hair off with bleach. Come with me?”
Erika’s update: “I’m looking for someone to come with me on my adventures big and small, from trips to Africa to cooking something together, which may be more of an adventure than you were hoping for!”
Cliché #3: “I am funny.”
My update: “My mom and dad still recount the time I won the ‘best joke ages 5 and under’ competition in the Catskills.”
Erika’s update: “Someone once asked me what happed to the rapper 50 Cent. My answer? Inflation.” (This is where the concept of “show, don’t tell” really comes into play.)
Cliché #4: “Family is important to me.”
My update: “I am okay with my mom after she started reading more self-help books about ‘how to act less neurotic with your adult children.’ We have to see her once a month or she has a panic attack.”
Erika’s update: “Sunday dinners with my family (and a good eggplant parm) are a tradition I would never change.”
Cliché #5: “I’m not religious but Judaism is important to me.”
My update: “I have a dreidl collection but I also like lobster bisque.”
Erika’s update: This can be answered in the check-box question that asks how religious you are. And by the fact that you’re on JDate!
Well, I think you can see that almost anything is better than some of what you’ve been doing… except some of my changes! But Erika’s are all awesome. Good job, Erika. Guess you were right to quit whatever day job you had before starting your company.