It has been concluded by multiple users in the True Self posts that using deceptive tactics to get laid is morally bankrupt and a clearly signifies that you are not being your "true self" or "true to yourself." So I would like to have a discussion around the deceptive tactics used by the vast majority of the dating market participants, further debunking this idea of "true self."

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/glenn-geher/post_4521_b_2950069.html?slideshow=true#gallery/288282/0

Male Deceptive Tactics:

Male Deceptive Tactic #1 – Drive a Porsche!

Gad Saad (2011) suggests that a great deal of our purchases are rooted in mate signaling – particularly for young male adults purchasing cars! In a study conducted by Saad and his team in the streets of Montreal (Saad & Vongas, 2008), males were given the assignment of driving a Porsche or a clunker – and they drove right through downtown or out toward the strip malls. Their testosterone was measured after their little joy rides. Guys driving the Porsche through downtown were all hopped up on testosterone and ready to go! There are few false mating signals quite like a Porsche! Of course, driving a Porsche that you don't own during a psychology experiment doesn't exactly make you all that – but the lessons are still apparent: signaling wealth – regardless of actuality – is a successful (if deceptive) strategy in the arsenal of male mating strategies.

(I'd add dressing nicely to signal status to this)

Male Deceptive Tactic #2 – Spend More than You Have!

While the accumulation of credit card debt tends to be seen as a negative act, and is quite often looked down upon in most circumstances, males who have high amounts of credit card debt may be more successful in gaining short-term mating partners than males who are not in debt. In a study by Daniel Kruger, there was a positive relationship between credit card debt and number of sexual partners among male college students – the more debt, the more sex. The deception here is as follows: Just because a guy takes you out to fancy dinners or buys you expensive jewelry does not necessarily mean he is wealthy. Rather, he may just be racking up that credit card bill and is actually digging himself deeper in debt while increasing his short-term mating success.

Male Deceptive Tactic #3- Steroids and Elevator Shoes!

Females are relatively attracted to males who display markers of physical prowess – largely as physical prowess is a signal of being able to provide for a woman and any future and shared progeny. Thus, males who are tall and muscular have a larger pool of women available to them than their shorter and weaker counterparts. Appearing tall and muscular, then, becomes an evolutionarily advantageous strategy for males – even when such appearances are false. Presenting oneself as an athlete, going to the gym and being able to display muscles, and even wearing shoes that make you just that much taller are all the kinds of partly deceptive tactics that males employ along this front in the mating domain.

Male Deceptive Tactic #4- I really am kind and loving!

Given the high costs of parental investment required of females to successfully reproduce, females put large value on males who display signals of being kind, faithful, loving, and capable of successfully rearing children. Toward this end, human courtship is filled with examples of males trying their darndest to show that they possess all these qualities. Buying flowers, paying for dinner, helping paint a room, opening the door for someone, donating to charity, petting the dog at the park, and so forth, all represent the kinds of acts that demonstrate a kind and caring manner.

Female Deceptive Tactics:

Female Deceptive Tactic #1- Yes, I’m still 29!

In the mating domain, a major proximate goal for a woman is to appear to be in her peak reproductive years. Given how few ovulations a woman will have in her lifetime (Reiber, 2010), male psychology has been shaped to be attuned to markers of female ovulation. Through the use of cosmetics, women can make themselves look years younger. Creams and lotions can minimize wrinkles, bright lipstick can create the illusion of full plump lips, rouge can create rosy red cheeks, and flowery perfume can make a woman smell clean and sweet.

Female Deceptive Tactic #2- Seriously, I’m not ready to think about settling down!

Female mating psychology largely focuses on searching for a strong long-term partner to help with the intensive time and energy costs associated with raising human offspring. However, as males have lower required parental investment biologically, male mating psychology sometimes focuses on relatively short-term mating. In light of this, females often use short-term mating tactics as a mechanism for trying to turn up a strong long-term mate. As evidence of this point, Garcia and Reiber (2008) found that a large majority of women who engaged in short-term hook-up behaviors actually were hoping that such encounters would turn into long-term relationships. Sometimes seeming promiscuous is actually a long-term mating tactic.

Female Deceptive Tactic #3- You are so funny!

Research on humor shows that humor is somewhat sex-differentiated. Males seem to be more motivated to produce humor while females seem to be more motivated to express appreciation of humor. Grammer and Eibl-Eibesfeldt (1990) found that the amount of synchronized laughter during spontaneous male/female conversations predicted mutual initial attraction, but the amount of laughter the woman produced was most predictive of mutual interest in actually dating. Clearly, woman’s laughter is a good index of humor appreciation and has an impact in a mating context. So if a woman’s interested in a guy, she may well laugh a little more than is warranted as his corny jokes!

Female Deceptive Tactic #4 - Stability’s my middle name!

Personality research has indicated that certain traits can offer unique information about underlying qualities of an individual. In our ancestral past, where groups were small and relatively isolated, contributions made by any individual were publicly accessible, and the need to demonstrate cooperation was essential; high levels of basic personality traits such as conscientiousness and agreeableness were adaptive. Stability- a blend of conscientiousness and agreeableness along with strong emotional control, has been found to be attractive in mates. Dyrenforth, Kashy, Donnellan, and Lucas (2010) found that the high stability increases the relationship satisfaction as well as partner satisfaction. Not only do people desire these traits in a mate, but they also tend to seek mates who are higher than themselves in such markers of stability. While women are often considered the relatively emotional gender, women who are very effective at presenting themselves as stable (even if this is inaccurate) gain points when it comes to mating.

Edited to clean up the questions:

Deceit: the action or practice of deceiving someone by concealing or misrepresenting the truth.

Q4All: What level of deceit becomes distasteful for you? Can you provide examples?

Q4All: At what level of deceit do you stop being true to yourself?