How would you react if you discovered that your date had hidden his disability?
By Porcospino
@Porcospino (31366)
Denmark
September 17, 2012 3:08pm CST
On another website I read a story about online dating. A woman wrote about an experience that she had on a dating site. She had been in touch with a man for a long time, and then they finally decided to meet for the first time. When they met the woman discovered that her date was in a wheelchair. The woman was very angry. The problem wasn't the fact that her date was disabled, she was angry because he never mentioned it at all.
How would react in that situation? Would you get angry and feel that you couldn't trust the other person? Would you forgive him and think that he probably lied because he was afraid of rejection? Would you react in different way? How?
5 people like this
11 responses
@thesids (22180)
• Bhubaneswar, India
17 Sep 12
Hi Porcospino
It would definitely hurt if anyone whom I had a special feeling would be telling me a lie. But wait, I am not sure if the woman had asked or there was a discussion about both where the man lied. If that conversation never happened, it might not hurt me because of the lie thing but it might hurt because I expected something else and got something different.
Personally, I was already ill for life when I met my would be love and later my wife. When I started realizing that she was the one, I told her all about my illness, and also the fact that I would be ill for life. I had not thought that the illness could become severe and I would be never working regularly during those days, but if only I knew that this might happen, I would also have told her these things. This was possible only because of my faith and belief that I will never lie to the one who means the world to me and also I have a strong belief that if you love anyone truly, honestly and without any feelings of personal gains, you are definitely going to be with the one. So I never hesitated in telling everything i knew about my illness to her.
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
17 Sep 12
As far as I understood from the story, they didn't discuss disabilities directly, but the woman mentioned some physical activities that she enjoyed and the man said that he enjoyed those activities as well. He wasn't able to do those things because of his disability. Instead of mentioning his disability he made her believe that he could do those things as well.
I think that it was the right decision to tell your wife about your illness. If it is true love I believe that you accept the person the way that he or she is. My ex-boyfriend had an illness which meant that he would probably become blind when in was in his 40's. He told me about his illness right from the start, and it never changed my feelings for him. I didn't have to think about it, I just knew that of course I was going to stay with him. When you really love someone you simply accept those things, that is my experience.
1 person likes this
@marguicha (222364)
• Chile
14 Jan 13
It´s difficult, but I think that I´d be angry too, not because of the wheelchair, but because some things should be mentioned. We all have flaws. Maybe, if he was afraid of rejection (I bet he was) he could have hinted something so that she was prepared in some way. I guess that is one of the difficult things about online dating. I would like to "date" online, with a posibility of acquiring a friend. If something else comes along, if will be a lot later.
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
14 Jan 13
I think that he should have mentioned the wheelchair. After all they had been chatting and talking about a lot of things and I think that it would have been good idea to mention his disability during those conversations. I would have done that if it had been me, because I think that she should have a chance to be prepared for the meeting. She wasn't prepared at all and she got a shock when she met him. He was probably afraid of rejection. Maybe he has been rejected in the past when the girls have discovered the truth about him and he was afraid that the same thing would happen again, I would understand that, but I still think that it would have been better to be honest.
@marguicha (222364)
• Chile
14 Jan 13
There`s no way to have a solid relationship if it is founded on deceit. That goes for wheelchairs and for a lot other things.
1 person likes this
@sarahruthbeth22 (43143)
• United States
21 Sep 12
I think I would be upset that he lied at first but then I would understand. Usually once a person lies to me I assume Everything he says after that is a lie . But this is different. For sopme reason he found it necessary to hide that he uses a chair. So I can see myself saying something like this: " Why didn't you tell me? You thought so little of me you couldn't tell me the truth? Why?"
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
14 Jan 13
I would be also be upset that he didn't tell me about his disability, but on the other hand I also understand that he found it neccesary to hide that information. If he has experienced many situations where girls have lost interest in him when they discovered the truth he was probably afraid that the same thing would happen again and I would understand that. I wouldn't run away, but he doesn't know me and he doesn't know that. Personally I would prefer to be honest from the start. I would don't hide that kind of things from a date.
1 person likes this
@myfb2009 (8296)
• Malaysia
21 Sep 12
Porco, pity to hear you had mental illness, which shouldn't be worry too much. I had a friend before who had this type of illness which she had to bear with it for many years. She had tried popping pills but think it won't solve her problem. So, she find a hobby which interest her a lot and able to make her think positively about herself all the time. Day after day, soon she realized that she no longer need to popping pills but only to concentrate on her new found hobby. The last time i heard, she got married to an understanding man who accept her past illness and taking good care of her.
I think if a person have a disability, they shouldn't keep it a secret. They should be honest and willing to tell it in the beginning stage of relationship. So, if the person had known it earlier is really don't mind about our illness, then that person is suitable to be with us forever. In order of seeking the true love, we shouldn't have fear to tell the truth.
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
24 Sep 12
I agree with that. I think that it is best to be honest from the start. That is the best basis for a relationship in my opinion. Some people might reject us when they discover the truth, but those people aren't right for us anyway. Yes, I have a mental illness (chronic depressions) and I have had those depressions since 1998, but it is not something that talk much about because in my every day life I don't feel ill and I am able to work, travel and do the other things that I did before I became ill. I take antidepressants and they keep my depressions away
@june2248 (154)
•
21 Sep 12
Hi Porcospino, i think online dating mean blind dating so you should be ready for surprises whenever you decide to meet.
I always believe that ether getting frustrated or angry to someone better give a perfect way to situation and move on to life.
It mean that you are not hurting someone but Yes,there is some rules and decision in your life.
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
14 Jan 13
Yes, online dating is different from other kinds of dating, because you have never met your date in person. You have an impression of the person from your interaction on the internet, but you don't really know the what the person is like in real life. Sometimes the person is very different in real life. I have experienced that myself and I have learned that I might get surpriced when we meet (in a positive or in a negative way) I think that it would be better to mention things like a wheelchair before the first meeting. Of course there is a chance that the person will say: "No thanks, I don't want to meet you" but I would still prefer to be honest and I prefer when people are honest to me.
@soraya452 (127)
•
17 Sep 12
He really should have said something. I myself am a wheelchair user and have had a couple of online dates, I'm always upfront about the fact I am in a wheelchair. I think its only fair.
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
17 Sep 12
Hi kemak!
They had been talking online for several months as far as I remember. The woman had asked him many times if he wanted to meet and he always said that we wanted to wait. She didn't understand why he kept postponing their meeting. No, she is not going to see him again, not because of his disability but because he wasn't honest about it.
Hi soraya!
I think that it is the right thing to do. I am not a wheelchair user, but I have a mental illmess (chronic depressions) and I was always honest that when I was a member of online dating sites. Some people rejected me because of that, but I still prefer to be honest from the start.
@Sreekala (34312)
• India
18 Sep 12
Hi dear,
I would like to share an incident which happened in reality and I have watched the same in TV channel. They met through mobile phone by getting a wrong number and the relation grows without their knowledge and finally they fallen in love. Here the man was in bed but he afraid to tell the truth by fearing the rejection. The lady was his comfort on his lonely life. But one day the lady was in such a situation and left her home for this boy. She had the address of the boy and when she reached his home and shocked to see the reality.
Here the girl had some shock on the first sight, but she never left the boy and married him and taking care of him. I think both of them love each other deeply in their heart, that may be the reason to forgive of hiding the disability.
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
24 Sep 12
Thanks for sharing the inspiring story. That really must be true love. I can imagine that it was a shock for the woman to discover that the man was disabled if he never mentioned it during their conversations, but she was able to forgive him for not saying anything and probably understood that he was afraid of rejection. The woman in the story that I read also got shocked when she discovered that her date was disabled, but she got so angry that she simply left he and never talked to him again. I think that I would get shocked too, but on the other hand I would also understand why my date had been afraid to reveal the truth.
@freymind (1351)
• Philippines
18 Sep 12
I will get pissed but not really angry. But I don't see myself having a relationship with this person more than friendship. Maybe he wants to know first hand the reaction of the woman that's why he didn't tell her in the first place. Nonetheless the woman felt cheated that's why she got angry.
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
21 Sep 12
Yes, that is the reason why she got angry. She felt that he cheated her because he never told her about his disability during their online conversations. I am able to see the situation from both sides. I understand why she got angry and why she felt betrayed when she discovered that he had hidden his disability, and I think it is best to be honest from the start. On the other hand I also understand that the man was afraid of telling her the truth. He was probably afraid that she would reject him if he told her about his disability and maybe he has been rejected in the past.
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
19 Sep 12
I am able to see the situation from both sides. I think that I would get disappointed that to discover that he hadn't told me about that part of himself, but on the other hand I would also understand that he was afraid of rejection. Maybe he has told other women about his disability in the past and they have rejected him when they discovered the truth. If that it is case I understand why he is afraid of telling his date about his disability, but I still believe that it is best to be honest from the start.
1 person likes this
@educatorstudent (43)
• Philippines
17 Sep 12
Never ever talk to that guy anymore because he lied in the first place.
We must be honest rather than lie because I also stands keeping lies.
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
21 Sep 12
Yes, he lied about his disability and that would also be the thing that bothered me the most about the situation. I wouldn't reject my date because he was disabled, but I believe in honesty from the start, and in his situation I would have been honest. If he is honest it is possible that he would get rejected, but on the other hand if he hides the truth he might get rejected as well because his date feels that she can't trust him. In the story that is exactly what happened. He hid the truth and the date got angry because he hadn't told her the truth and she left him when she discovered the truth.
@keichan1412 (247)
• United States
17 Sep 12
Ofcourse I would be angry because he became close to me and he should tell everything about his life. On the otherside, the guy must be afraid that if the girl knew that he has disability, she will not date him online.... At first I will be angry. I will reflect on myself, then maybe everything will be fine.
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
17 Sep 12
I think that is best to be honest from the start, but I agree with the things that you wrote. The guy was probably afraid that the she wouldn't date her if he told her the truth. He didn't tell her about his disability and she ended up rejecting not because of his disability but because he hadn't been honest to her so he actually ended up in the situation that he was trying to avoid. I think that anger and disappointment would also be my first reaction, but I think that I would also be able to understand his reaction and his fear of rejection.