If someone's ever told you they don't use Tinder because it's too superficial, ask them how they decide to flirt with someone at a bar.
Whether you're doing it on a smartphone screen or in real life, the strategy is strikingly similar: You check the person out — what they're doing, what they're wearing, and who they're with.
But there's a lot more science bound up in that momentary glance than you might think. There are a few main things we look for when we're sizing up a potential date. And you can take advantage of them with these tips.
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Don't fuss too much over the 'about me' section — your photos matter more.
How you look matters more than what you write. Research suggests we can determine more about someone's personality based on their appearance than on their answers to a set of predetermined questions, like those used by some online dating sites.
Plus, those answers might lead us astray — in experiments with people who said they valued specific characteristics in a potential mate, none of them proved important once it came down to meeting that person in real life.
Look more extroverted with a photo where you're facing the camera head-on.
Whether we're looking at a picture or chatting with someone at a speed date, there's one trait most people can identify pretty easily and accurately: extroversion.
If you're standing "energetically" in a photo, for example, meaning you're not slouching and your feet are pointed towards the camera, viewers are more likely to pick up on your outgoing personality. Looking neat and composed (which viewers perceive as meaning you're stylish and healthy) can earn you extroversion points too.
Smile big to show people you're friendly.
It might seem obvious, but plenty of Tinder users forget the most important aspect of an attractive photo: your smile.
People tend to associate people who are smiling with being more outgoing, while they tend to link frowning or straight-faced people with introversion.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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