The Reality of Online Dating: A 99% OkCupid Match and Its Lessons

When it comes to online dating platforms, OkCupid has a reputation for its detailed and comprehensive questionnaires designed to help users find their perfect match. While some users may never see a 99% match, others like myself have experienced the highest success rates, as high as 97%. However, the percentage alone doesn't dictate the quality of a match.

Understanding the Success Rate

The highest I've ever seen was 96%, and I believe I even matched with someone with a 97% success rate. These matches were highly scrutinized, with some answering only basic questions and others providing detailed information. However, for me, the success rate never played a major role in whom I chose to chat with or go on dates with.

Love Beyond the Numbers

My love message me before I finished answering all the questions, so who knows if the match could have been higher? It turned out that my soulmate wasn't my first match on OkCupid. I started dating at a young age and had a few girlfriends each year, resulting in my early marriage to what I thought was the right choice. After 22 years together, however, my wife cheated, ending our marriage.

I was raised with the belief that a man is only as good as his word and his handshake, so I took our wedding vows very seriously. My ex, on the other hand, broke my heart. For the next 2.5 to 3 years, I slipped into severe depression, believing I was too old to enter the dating scene again. Who wants a guy in his mid-40s?

Reconnecting with Life

One night, while depressed, I stopped at a bar on my way home from work. I wasn't looking to mingle but a lovely young lady walked in, and we began dating for the summer. Despite knowing she was too young for me, and a long-term relationship was not in our future, she made me realize I wasn't dead yet and still had something to offer a woman.

During this period, the dating scene had changed. Women today are independent and don't need a man to take care of them. They now make the first move, pick me up, take me home, use me for a week or two, and then end it. At first, I thought it was great, but after a year of relationships, I started to feel like a cheap and dirty 'hore.' I needed a break, turned the app off, and stopped going out.

Finding the Perfect Match

One day, when everything aligned, I turned the app back on, answered the questions, and found the woman I would grow old with. My love and I have never had a fight in the years we've been together. We don't always agree on everything, but we discuss it, not argue over it. Early in a relationship, if one person has doubts, it's best to end it. Trying to change yourself or the other person to make it work only prolongs the inevitable discovery of the one who truly completes you.

So, while a high success rate on OkCupid can be exciting, it's not the only factor. It's the human connection that ultimately matters.