SurvivingInfidelity.com^®

I stop by here periodically to read this forom (which I usually find very interesting with some interesting people) and with the possibility of being riddled with 2x10’s or 6 by 15’s or whatever it is, I would like to ask a few questions that I've thought about recently. I’m not trying to be a smart ass or a crap disturber in anyway, but I just do not understand a couple of things that I read not only in this forum but from folks I know in real life.

Why would you expect to find a relationship on an internet dating site? Now I realize there is a possibility of it happening and that it does, but I think the odds are probably hugely weighted against. OK, if we can agree on that, then why would you be that upset if it doesn't turn out the way you want? I may be wrong, but sometimes I sense a real anger that this whole blind date thing went sideways or a few dates down the line it all didn't turn out, when quite honestly, I would be surprised if it did.

Now I don’t have any issues with folks who are on these sites and going on these dates. But it seem to me, and again I may be wrong, a little restraint on expectations and to simply try and enjoy someone’s company and if it works fine, seems to make more sense.(sort of my definition of dating...the other is sort of like reading a resume and then interviewing) but to go in with expectations of a meaningful relationship or for that matter a even a short one from a blind date on an internet site, I just can’t grasp. I have asked some of my friends who do on line dating these questions but I’m interested in what some of you on this forum have to say. Help me out

Good luck getting people to admit their upset is disproportionate.

If you encounter 50 weirdos on your quest for a good date, I think it just gets more discouraging when the date with the seemingly normal doesn't pan out.

There is an investment in online dating before meeting; trying to minimize it still doesn't eliminate it. And the confusion of someone *poof*ing can be hurtful. I don't think it's any different from the disappointments of dating someone met IRL first.

The way one meets, IMO, is pretty irrelevant to whether one can be hurt. And lots do form relationships from OLD! Two of the last weddings I went to met on OKCupid and I know many other couples who met that way.

For *me*, internet dating is really my only avenue TO date. I started out very hopeful in the early days. I had paid my dues and earned my stripes and thought it would be "easy" to find someone to date.

I was very, very wrong. I got blindsided by the liars, the guys I thought I would have chemistry with, the odd ones, the creepy ones. You read a profile and you think, "Hmmm…he thinks like I do!!" or he "likes what I like, cool!"

I am, and always will be, relationship focused. This isn't FROM infidelity, this is who I AM. In college, I never casually dated. I went from relationship to relationship until I met my ex. Most of the relationships were a year or two long. I can't magically change who I am and what I am comfortable in.

I've learned to lower my expectations. Like this last guy, although we clicked away via phone, email and text…we didn't click in person. I've learned that a date is just a date. I keep my expectations low and I would MUCH prefer to NOT OLD. I am very uncomfortable. But, the *off chance* that I meet a great guy is still there, and better than the zero chance I have when I sit at home instead.

I am 4 years post d-day, 3+ years post S (with D final any day now…) and had a few quasi-relationships under my belt. I want a relationship and there is nothing wrong with that. I have kids 95% of the time and full time on-line grad student. I volunteer, I hang out with my friends, I joined MeetUp, etc, so that any "non-kid time" is filled with activities that should have me meeting someone. I just don't. I am naturally very shy and have no idea how to flirt with someone. A guy will always have to approach me (which was fine in college…I was cute…not a problem). On OLD, I will step out of my fear and actually email a guy or two.

It DOES happen. I did date one guy for about 2 months, and I do know people who have met their spouses on OLD. So, that hope remains. It is my primary outlet to look. I can "date" at home when my kids are in bed, then set up lunch meets to assess the in-person chemistry.

I don't interview the guys…I go and have fun. I am always slightly disappointed when there is no chemistry because I am *hopeful*, nothing more. If a profile states he is only looking for casual dates or "just friends", I pass them by. Not for me, I can self select out.

I think to do OLD, you have to enter it with a very open mind and an even thicker skin.

FWIW, my current husband and I met on an online dating site, dated for three years, then married.

It can (and does) happen.

ETA:

My OLD experience actually wasn't that bad, but I prefer to chat online for a while, then go to phone calls, and only when I'm comfortable did I agree to meet F2F.

If the "interested" guy didn't want to go at my pace, I cut him loose, with no regrets.

Knowing myself, what I wanted from the other person, and having my own "process" helped me weed out a lot of questionable characters before meeting in person.

I can honestly only recall two dates that were truly bad. One brought his 3-4yr old son on the first (and last date), the other tried to get laid inside a half hour of meeting (uhhh no).

[This message edited by GabyBaby at 3:42 PM, May 1st (Thursday)]

Not everybody is looking for a relationship. Some are just looking for some casual fun. There is nothing wrong with that as long as that is stated up front and their actions follow that. I'm not looking for casual fun. I'm looking for a relationship and I state that in my profile. If I wanted to go hang out with somebody as friends, I'd just go hang out with my friends.

I do not believe dating with a purpose is wrong in any way. Again, as long as people are up front about what they are looking for then there shouldn't be any issues.

And I agree with norabird, the way one meet is irrelevant. If people can make "love" connections at church, then there shouldn't be an issue with old.

And I agree with norabird, the way one meet is irrelevant. If people can make "love" connections at church, then there shouldn't be an issue with old.

I totally agree, this really isn't what my post was about. Let's put it this way, "do you believe everything you read on the internet?" My question is why when these "perspectives" don't meet expectations are people so surprised and upset. I mean I understand folks don't like to serial date, and I read that all the time, but it seems like that is all they do on OLD. I'm not criticizing, I'm just not smart enough to grasp the concept.

I think OLD is one of the worst ways possible to meet someone. It causes you to focus on nitpicky stuff waaaaaaaaaay too earlier (things you'd probably not care about if you met the person in a more organic fashion), it forces you to be in contact with a huge variety of people who frankly, don't have the same background, morals, values that you have, so you struggle to find common ground with a person while there's a chasm in between you, i.e. they can be hot or whatever but in short order they're going to drive you batshit crazy because you see life too differently. Given that, of course OLD is a crapshoot.

That said, when you've been dumped on your ass in midlife, it is incredibly difficult to meet people outside your daily orbit. You go to work, drop the kids off at school, go to church or whatever it is that you do with the SAME people DAY IN AND DAY OUT. And most have their routines, that include social routines that don't have room for the singles, the dating singles, and so on. Move outside of a large metropolitan area, and the difficulty increases exponentially.

It's not college where you're thrown together with a whole host of new people, who ALL are into the idea of meeting new people, making new friends, finding relationships. Where the worst baggage someone has is that they hate their parents.

So you turn to OLD. Cmego's right, for a goodly many of us here at SI, our avenues are limited in the extreme. If we don't OLD, there will be no dating at all.

I don't recall many people here posting about OLD dates with high expectations (one or two, with predictable results) but members aren't really posting about the normal dates, only the hysterical ones that get posted for entertainment value or the squee-worthy ones. I think we're all pretty level headed about it actually. But SI is our safe place to complain about it, where everyone gets it. IRL, our married friends don't.

Still though, what's wrong with being hopeful? What's wrong with wanting a relationship and pursuing it? I don't think that equals expecting. I think it just equals hope, which is a pretty awesome thing to have.

[This message edited by cayc at 4:09 PM, May 1st, 2014 (Thursday)]

My question is why when these "perspectives" don't meet expectations are people so surprised and upset.

Oh, I see. You're wondering at people who read OLD profiles, believe every word and hang their hat on it and then are shocked to realize that some of it wasn't true when they meet the person. Yes, I wonder about people who do that too.

How about this as a comparison...OLD is like buying a car.

You test drive a lot of options, after spending hours on-line looking at possibilities, reading reviews, choosing your desired options. A car that you thought would be a fun test drive can often leave you disappointed, because it's too cramped or smells bad, or makes weird noises, or goes faster than you can tolerate when you only hit the pedal a little bit, or has a kid in the backseat that you didn't expect to be there (Shout out GabyBaby).

And sometimes after a test drive you make a decision to take a car home. And even then, after a few days, or weeks, or months, issues can pop up. Leaving you disappointed that your process of choosing wasn't as good as you thought. So you sell the clunker and start right back up on Kelly Blue Book or Edmunds or Okcupid.

Your analogy would work with "traditional" dating as well, though.

OLD is just another venue for finding people to meet (albeit a lot larger number at one time than bumping into someone at the grocery store).

You still need to take what someone says to you F2F with a grain of salt, same as if you're reading a profile.

The person that takes a profile at face value will likely be very disappointed since most people try to put their best face on.

If you dig deep enough, you're going to find the warts. You just have to decide whether those warts are a big enough issue for you to "next" the person.

And even then, after a few days, or weeks, or months, issues can pop up. Leaving you disappointed that your process of choosing wasn't as good as you thought. So you sell the clunker and start right back up on Kelly Blue Book or Edmunds or Okcupid.

Perfect comparison. That's why I might after about 10 clunkers try buying from an authorized dealer or at least not from Joe Dipstick from Craig's list. Just a joke

Yeah…but asurvivor, think of all the good people on SI who are attempting to OLD. There ARE good people on OLD. I've met several good guys…just not good guys for *me*.

The profile is just the first piece of the puzzle. The next piece is the email and some exploration, then talking on the phone, then deciding if there are enough pieces to meet. Like in any relationship, you are simply collecting the pieces to see if it makes a whole puzzle.

I agree the process is a little backwards, we are used to meeting people in person first and then discovering the puzzle pieces. I admit to at least 50% of these guys, if I had seen them in person first, I wouldn't have gone out with them. But, that is the nature of the beast. Or the puzzle.

buying from an authorized dealer

And where would that be exactly? There are no absolutes or guarantees in dating no matter where you meet the person.

Yeah…but asurvivor, think of all the good people on SI who are attempting to OLD. There ARE good people on OLD. I've met several good guys…just not good guys for *me*.

Ok I give...I'm obviously not able to make myself clear. I never said there were not good people on OLD or that you can't find the love of your life on Old or if your are old you can't love your life, whoops lost my train of thought there....it simply had to do with questioning the expectations and why do it because of the shit that comes with it and why would you complain when it happens...blah blah blah...but I think after reading Cayc I get that maybe the hope sort of trumps the shit. Thanks for all your answers and here's hoping you eliminate as many of the clunkers as possible.

I did the OLD. I met a great woman that would make any man happy. I was blessed by knowing her. I had to break it off cause I could not be the man she needed. She had young kids, we were both the same age, and my kids were much older. I was in a different "stage" in my life and I knew I couldn't be the right guy for her kids, even though we talked about it and I was to be no replacement for their father.

I talked to two others. One just wanted a good time, the other was ...well just not for me. lol

33% isn't bad.

Some of us are in an area where there is very little population. 30+ miles between each small town(7,000 pop or less). Add kids into the group and there is little time to meet people.

buying from an authorized dealer

And where would that be exactly? There are no absolutes or guarantees in dating no matter where you meet the person.

Oh I don't know. Hey wait, I do know that I would have a better chance in church than in a strip joint. (insert yellow round face laughing... but I'm probably the only one laughing as usual).

Yes. The hope trumps the shit. That is it exactly.

No your not survivor!

But, depends on your goal for the night.

I broke just about every dating "rule" with my SO. He was a co-worker, younger, lived far away from my home, no children and the list goes on. On paper he is a terrible match for me, in real life we get along amazingly well. He is by far the easiest person that I have ever spent time with. I think that people who go to on-line dating sites are already stepping out of the box a little bit. However I agree with you asurvivor that it is far to easy to get vested emotionally with someone too prematurely. We live in a fast paced culture and I guess dating and relationships is just another casualty of that.