Quote Originally Posted by georgie_leech View Post
Length doesn't indicate depth though. Or rather: as any politician or Polonius could tell you, it is an eminently human quality to be able to drone on and on with the most creative verbiage without saying anything of substance, communicating messages that would be better served in fewer words

To put it another way, there are certainly people that use short stock phrases because they think it's what you put on a dating profile. There are others though that do so because it's a quick way to sum up a part of themselves they think is important, and they would much rather get to know people with actual interaction than profile skimming so don't try to condense their life story into a ramble.
This comes with two presumptions though.

1.) That efficiency of communication is important.

Which it isn't. In fact, efficiency of communication is downright detrimental. Information overload in the early stages of dating is more likely to scare someone off than it is to encourage them. And secondly the pathway to what's said is often far more interesting than what's being said.

For example. What can be said about someone who claims to be Witty? You can either agree or disagree. That's it. There's nothing of substance to it, nothing to communicate about. It's an empty compliment.

Meanwhile someone who goes to the trouble to SHOW their supposed wit, will often give you something to talk about. For example, there was once a girl who had as part of her profile, a riddle. While I never did solve the thing entirely. We talked back and forth for weeks about interpretations of various lines in the riddle.

The point is to show who you are. Not tell who you are.

2.) That what they have to communicate is accurate.

Again, the problem with descriptors like Feisty or Witty, is that while they may view themselves that way, you on the other hand might not. They are in effect TELLING YOU what to think of them rather than showing themselves and letting you draw your own conclusions. Now, their self descriptions might well BE accurate. But they'll always show a shallower picture than allowing you to look for yourself.