Guest Author - Pam Garlick

I may offend some people when I say it is rare you will find true love on the Internet, because undoubtedly there have been those people who have felt they have found their true love via the Web. However, the difference between true love and cyber love is really as different as an apple and a banana.

I say this because if I describes a piece of fruit saying it is round, with a shiny red skin, with a white fruit and dark seeds inside, what might you think I’m describing? If I continue to tell you that it is crisp and sweet when you bite into it, you might automatically think I am describing an apple.

Now, if I show you a photograph of the fruit I am describing and you see it is indeed an apple, you will feel even more secure that what I have described to you is an apple. I mean, why would I lie?

The truth is, I can tell you anything I want and show you any photograph I want, in an effort to make you believe what I want you to believe. This is especially true on the Internet where people meet and chat, telling one another about their likes and dislikes.

So, if I learned bananas are your favorite fruit, I could just as easily have described a banana and shown you a photograph of such to gain your interest. I could have you so hungry for that banana that you might even go right out and buy one just to fulfill your appetite.

On the Net there are people who do just that, but instead of finding out about your favorite fruit, they are finding out more about your innermost feelings, and needs. Then they can become the person who will fulfil those needs.

Yes, you can make some great friends on the Net. In many cases, it really doesn’t matter if they are who they claim to be. I mean, who hasn’t told a little untruth from time to time. I’ve taken to rounding off my weight on the low side, often shaving off more than a few pounds. Who does it hurt?

What hurts is when one shares their heart and soul with an unknown being and finds themselves growing more and more attracted to that unknown being. Because in reality, that apple could really be a banana.

However, if you decide to ever meet that person the difference could be far less simple and could even be dangerous.

A great book on this subject can be found below: