April 30 marked National Honesty Day and, in honor of the occasion, Match.com dug through their latest Singles in America study to unearth some pretty interesting data on honesty and dating. According to their research, over half of singles (57%) say they DON'T tell white lies if they are dating.
In fact, Match.com implies that two-thirds of singles believe any small fib is unacceptable. It's understandable – nobody wants to date someone who is dishonest and, therefore, untrustworthy. But when we're truly being honest, Personally i think like many of us will be in a position where we've perhaps massaged the truth on a date to be able to paint ourselves in a more desirable light. Be it adding a far more flattering filter to our selfies to assist mask our budding crows feet, concealing the number of dates we've been on recently or saying that we quit employment (when really i was downsized), I'm prepared to bet that we've told a fib of all time.
So, what are people lying about? Match.com learned that the top white lie singles tell on the date is the sexual history, followed by dating background and finances. And, while you might be inclined to think that men lie much more about their number of sexual partners than women, they discovered that both men and women are equally prone to have lied about this! But men both lower and improve their number equally, while women are more likely to decrease their number.
So, what else are people lying about? Good question!
- Age: Gay (44%) and bisexual (56%) singles are more inclined to lie about their age.
- Height: Conservative Republicans may lie about their height (91%).
- Finances: Men are more likely to lie regarding their finances (29%) and their job (32%).
- Social Media: 27% of men who may have had a date mention their social media accounts have been busted in a lie, as have 17% of ladies (sorry, the jig expires – those three topless girls pouring tequila down your gullet are not your “cousins”).
So, what's the worst things to lie about? According to survey participants, not telling your lover through the third date a good STD, a felony record, or that you're in the united states illegally would be the top 'lies by omission' they'd be upset by, with health background, income and political views less crucial to reveal. Which makes sense – while I'd appreciate if a person revealed their political leanings in the get-go (especially after the 2022 U.S. election), I won't feel betrayed if, through the third date, they reveal they voted for any candidate I find unpalatable. However, someone lying regarding their STD status or criminal record could seriously compromise your safety.
If you are looking to meet somebody that is trustworthy, you might like to head to Nashville or Seattle. Match found that Nashville and Seattle are the place to find probably the most honest singles within the U.S., with 62% not lying on dates. Here are a few from the some of the best cities for honest singles:
- Nashville (62%)
- Seattle (62%)
- Memphis (59%)
- Denver (59%)
- Phoenix (59%)
- Detroit (59%)
- Washington D.C. (58%)
- Jacksonville (57%)
- Fort Worth (57%)
- Indianapolis (57%)
Although it might be wonderful when we were all honest constantly, it seems sensible why we lie. Rejection is scary and dating can make you feel really vulnerable. White lies are born from insecurity and a need to be liked. However, while a fib or perhaps a little bit of “creative honesty” might seem harmless, it really doesn't do anything whatsoever to boost our chances romantically.
According to Dr. Helen Fisher, Match's Chief Scientific Advisor, “Those who tell white lies are no more likely to get a second date; no more prone to have gone on a date within the last year; with no more likely to have experienced sex.”
In short, if you're fibbing to be able to score more dates and have more sex, you might want to stop since your chances simply the same if you be truthful. Besides, you want your partner to accept and (possibly, eventually) adore you due to whom you actually are – not some smoke and mirrors version of yourself. This all would go to confirm what we knew all along: honesty really is the best policy.