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comment by ButterflyEffect
ButterflyEffect  ·  3231 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Tinderization of Feeling

    You sure are good at finding articles that make you think the sky is falling, aren't you?

It's my one and only talent. Disclaimer, I don't use Tinder at this point, but have been feeling very overwhelmed by technology and virtual interactions and constant connectivity. I'm exactly the person who does this:

    you'll spend 45 minutes cross-referencing head-fi.org with Amazon with Crutchfield with Consumer Reports with Reddit in order to buy a brand you've never heard of before (and then another 30 researching whether burn-in is real)

and it's exhausting but at the same time, in this instance, I want to feel like my money was well spent. When it comes to dating I'd like to feel like my time was well spent. I guess it comes down to not wanting to waste anything unless it's something I want to do. Meanwhile you have 5031 dating sites, 31905151351 review sites, and maybe 10 people who have a clue what they're talking about. We need to scale back.





goobster  ·  3231 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Here's a good way to know if your dating time is well spent: Find a place you enjoy. Go there. Introduce yourself to the people who work there (bartenders, waitresses, managers, whoever), and become a regular.

Notice the other people who are around you.

Notice that there are others who come here often as well.

Introduce yourself. Share an appetizer. Recognize them next time they are there. Wave. Say hi. Ask about that thing you talked about over the appetizer last time you talked.

And guess what? You have just met someone with similar interests, and not a bit of technology was used.

_refugee_  ·  3230 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Yes. This is how you meet friends, AND potential dating partners. I don't Tinder, but in the past 2 years I've made a lot of friends and dated (for a month or more; not just gone on "one date with") like, 4 separate people. Go to a place and become a regular.

Don't like drinking? Find other activities. I know of 2 regular poetry workshops in my area I could go to. Don't like that? Pick up a physical activity like running and start doing local 5ks with regularity. You will meet people. Some of them will even be cute and single and of a gender to which you are attracted.

ButterflyEffect  ·  3230 days ago  ·  link  ·  

(_refugee_ too) Y'all are certainly helping with refining how I'm feeling. Is there a such thing as social exhaustion from meeting people? Because, despite the tech thing, there are three days of the week where I'm involved with three separate organizations/places/whatever that have been a completely offline way of meeting folks, and yet, at the same time meeting people in general feels like a chore and the same path of events and discussions. Maybe living in 5 places in 3.5 years and going through this process time and time again filled with meeting people and short term relationships has taken some of the fun out of it. And I'm only interested in certain demographics of people as far as relationships go, and friends for that matter. Both of which are more of personal problems than anything else.

goobster  ·  3230 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Ya know... I think I'm reading something between the lines in your comments...

I don't think you are "whole" right now. And you can't be a good partner to someone, unless you are first good to yourself.

Moving 5 times in 3+ years is a BIG sign. It takes TIME to get settled in. To figure out who you are in this new place. To find your rhythms.

And you can dance with someone else until you can figure out your own rhythms.

I think maybe you are pushing it too hard. Rushing into something that you know you aren't going to be completely committed to, and therefore self-sabotaging.

BUT. I think you are doing the right things. Settling in. Doing the three-days-a-week stuff. Making friends. Being YOU.

So be YOU for a while. Get comfortable. Only then will you become someone that others want to snuggle with.

(All meant in good spirit. No abuse/jibes intended.)

ButterflyEffect  ·  3229 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Thanks goobster, definitely no jibes felt. I think you're completely right. The best part is I'm likely to move again in a few months (staying the same region, but still). The cycle of move or do something new - make friends - keep friends for a period of time - repeat is a lot more draining that I thought it would be, and, to be clear on the last point there are people who to snuggle with me at this point in time but not entirely sure where I'm at mentally to be doing like that.

rinx  ·  3230 days ago  ·  link  ·  

    And I'm only interested in certain demographics of people as far as relationships go, and friends for that matter.

Which demographics?

ButterflyEffect  ·  3230 days ago  ·  link  ·  

People with a similar level of interest in music and local artist, musicians, and local culture, mostly. Chances are if a person has enough of a passion to be involved small and local, they'll have some of the same values as me. In the process that shuts out a lot of people though but eh. That was nondescript but I'm apparently the only person with the viewpoint I've been trying to express and I'm tired of trying to articulate things right now.

kleinbl00  ·  3230 days ago  ·  link  ·  

    When it comes to dating I'd like to feel like my time was well spent.

Great. Perfect. Endorse this idea completely. Where I think you're going off the rails is in allowing an external application to place a value judgement on how you spend your time.

If you are spending your time on their dating sites to evaluate the people they think you should be into, you are not spending your time wisely.