Be honest.

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=200 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Josh Aterovis"><B><IMG SRC="57fa77d0.jpg" border=0 width="167" height="125" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="news_and_events.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="News Events">News & Events</A></div> <div> <A HREF="novels__short_stories.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Writings">Writings</A></div> <div> <A HREF="order_books.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Order Books">Order Books</A></div> <div> <A HREF="blog.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Blog">Blog</A></div> <div> <A HREF="press_room.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Press Room">Press Room</A></div> <div> <A HREF="contact_the_author.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact the Author">Contact the Author</A></div> <div> <A HREF="art_gallery.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Art Gallery">Art Gallery</A></div> <div> <A HREF="resources_and_links.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Resources and Links">Resources and Links</A></div> <bR> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" width="100%" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Courier New" ><B>Josh Aterovis</B></FONT>     |     <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Josh Aterovis">home</A>     <A HREF="rules_of_gay_dating.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Rules of Gay Dating">Rules of Gay Dating</A></div> <div> <B>Be honest.</B>   ·   <A HREF="know_who_attracts_you.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Know who attracts you.">Know who attracts you.</A>   ·   <A HREF="have_something_in_common.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Have something in common.">Have something in common.</A>   ·   <A HREF="know_your_expectations.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Know your expectations.">Know your expectations.</A>   ·   <A HREF="make_sure_you_have_chemistry.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Make sure you have chemistry.">Make sure you have chemistry.</A>   ·   <A HREF="have_a_plan.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Have a plan.">Have a plan.</A>   ·   <A HREF="be_interested_and_interestin.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Be interested and interesting.">Be interested and interesting.</A>   ·   <A HREF="know_what_to_avoid_and_when_.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Know what to avoid and when to bail.">Know what to avoid and when to bail.</A>   ·   <A HREF="dont_rush_it.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Dont rush it.">Don't rush it.</A>   ·   <A HREF="have_fun.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Have fun!">Have fun!</A></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Be honest.</B></div> <div> <IMG SRC="3d4ba050.gif" border=0 width="442" height="5" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> Be honest.</div> <bR> <div> It may seem like a no-brainer, but if you think that then I'm assuming you haven't dated recently. Like since the Carter administration maybe. In the days of Internet dating, it's easier than ever to deceive your prospective date. Create a profile on Gay.com (or one of the dozens of other online social sites), throw up a picture of yourself from eight years (or forty-eight pounds) ago, come up with some witty comments about your likes and dislikes, and you're ready to go.</div> <bR> <div> Only one problem: assuming you actually want to date, you're going to have to meet this person eventually. If you don't look anything like your pictures, your date is going to catch on pretty quickly. Unless you're dating Stevie Wonder. And even he would realize something was amiss as soon as it became apparent you're not really into any of the interests you listed. </div> <bR> <div> People don't like being deceived. What's up with the false advertising? If you want somebody to like you for yourself, you have to let them see the real you. The whole bait-and-switch routine rarely works on anyone in the long run.</div> <bR> <div> The need for honesty extends beyond the initial marketing of yourself. If you end up on an actual date, please, please, I beg of you by all that is holy — like RuPaul's wigs — be yourself. Some of us have finely attuned bullshit detectors. If you act fake, it comes across. Even if you're a good enough actor to pull off your subterfuge, you're either going to be stuck being someone you're not for the entire time you see that person, or the real you if going to have to eventually come to light. Let's face it, how long can you pretend you're fascinated by Dostoevsky if you can't even make it through Harry Potter? More importantly, as I said earlier, don't you want your date to like you for you and not some false idea of you?</div> <bR> <div> Lastly, be honest after the date, too. If you're not interested, be honest. Don't lead your date on with false hope of a second date if you know damn well there won't be one. On the flip side, if you are interested, make sure they know that, too. Playing hard to get is one thing, but acting disinterested when you really would like to go out again is just silly and confusing for everyone involved.</div> <bR> <div> So the moral of today's story, boys and girls, is be honest and be yourself. If your date doesn't like who you really are, then you don't want to be with that person anyway. Can I get an amen? How about just a man? Until next time... Happy dating!</div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>