Should You Catfish Him? (Reasons Not To Deceive Him)

We live in strange times and with the ability to be anyone we want online, there’s a growing number of people who end up using this ability for strange reasons like catfishing. In today’s article, I’m going to provide a compelling answer to the following question, should you catfish him?

No, you should not catfish him because it creates unnecessary drama, it’s manipulative and considered quite unethical to mislead someone with a fake profile.

The only time catfishing may be considered somewhat of an option is if you’re in a toxic relationship and it seems extremely likely that he is cheating on you or sabotaging your life.

However, it still doesn’t negate the fact that catfishing is unethical and frowned upon.

Before we get further into this article on whether or not you should catfish him, let’s actually discuss the semantics of catfishing so that you can gain a full understanding of what it means to do something like this.

What Is Catfishing? 

Catfishing is the act of using/creating a fake persona to manipulate and trick someone into a romantic relationship. 

It’s not limited to just romantic relationships, though. 

People are known to catfish for a variety of reasons such as luring someone into exposing secrets, eliciting information from someone, testing someone’s loyalty or ripping them off for money and goods.

But, the term catfishing has become popular and primarily used for luring someone into a romantic relationship with a fake persona/profile.

Typically, a catfish is someone you will meet online who has created a profile on social media and dating sites that are completely fictional.

They are known for using pictures of other people and can create an entire fictional life for themselves online.

It’s the equivalent of creating a brand new identity and background for the intended purpose of misleading people.

How I Got Catfished

I’d like to share a story that’s quite embarrassing but when I was around 17 years old, I was talking to this girl whom I met in a chatroom. 

At the time, I was absolutely useless when it came to dating.

For the longest time, I would skate by on my looks and that was the only reason I would have such an easy time attracting girls.

Apart from that, I had no game whatsoever and I struggled to muster up the courage to even be flirtatious in person.

I was a typically shy boy who lived more in his daydreams than in real life.

One night, I was in this chatroom and I started texting with this girl who seemed really fun and amazing.

We took things private and fast forward, I was in this so-called online ‘relationship’ with this girl. Let’s call her Jessica for the sake of this story.

The only problem was that things seemed too good to be true and the cracks in the wall started to show after a few months.

But, looking back now, a few months was too much time because I can probably figure out who is a catfish within minutes in this day and age. 

I suppose my experience has taught me some valuable lessons that I can share with you on this site.

Anyway, an entire year passed and what I learned was that Jessica was actually a figment of someone else’s imagination.

Eventually, I learned that literally, everything she told me was a lie.

She made up an entire life and a fake family for herself.

I was talking to this woman who was a couple of years older than me who made this elaborate lie because she was utterly insecure about herself.

That experience really hurt me at the time because I was tricked, manipulated and lied to.

I felt like a massive fool and it stung to have my immature heartbroken because I couldn’t understand why this person would do such a thing. 

The worst part about the whole thing was that the person behind this fake profile felt horrible when she revealed the truth.

It probably hurt her more than it hurt me. She was overwhelmed with shame and it only heightened her insecurities.

She went down an immoral and unjustifiable path that affected another person and it really affected her in the end.

So, to simply answer your question, should you catfish him? No, you should not catfish him because it will ultimately result in heartbreak, shame, guilt, pain and embarrassment for both of you. 

3 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Catfish Him

1. You will subject him to unnecessary pain and humiliation

Honestly, you would have to hate this guy or not truly care about his well-being to do something like this.

Granted, if you’re in a toxic relationship and need to find out if your partner is cheating on you or not, I can sort of understand why you would want to do this.

But, should you even be in a relationship if this is the kind of behavior you are resorting to?

Speaking from experience and from watching a dozen or more episodes of the reality TV show Catfish, you will hurt this person and cause him a great deal of pain by doing this.

You’re wasting both your and his time on something that is only going to create problems and pain. 

There’s really not much or any justification for something like this. 

2. You risk getting your heart broken

Let’s say that you’re scared to be real and want to really get to know him using your catfish profile.

Do you really think there’s a happy ending for you in this story?

I want to be brutally honest with you because it is imperative that you understand what’s at stake by catfishing him.

You’re essentially solidifying all of those insecurities and low self-worth by resorting to the use of a fake profile to get someone’s attention.

Imagine if he turns out to be wonderful and you fall in love with him?

You’re going to be devastated and heartbroken when he finds out that you’re catfishing him and leaves. 

No amount of explanations will rebuild trust or love after all the manipulation and lies.

More than likely, you’re going to get blocked forever and you’ll never get a chance to even redeem yourself in whatever way you want.

Related post: Why your ex blocked you

3. You could end up in serious trouble with the law

We live in a time when society takes the online world extremely seriously and what you say or do can and will be traced back to you.

Furthermore, the law is constantly evolving to accommodate the online activity.

Just because you’re using a fake profile doesn’t mean your real identity can’t be held accountable for the results of your actions.

If you catfish someone and your behavior influences them to do something illegal or harmful, chances are such that you can pay the price for that. 

Your real identity in real life will have to face the consequences of the ramifications of your catfish profile. 

Is it really worth the trouble?

In Conclusion

Just to summarize, should you catfish him? No, you shouldn’t catfish him because it is considered a form of manipulation and deceit that is built on lies that can hurt you and him. 

There’s probably only one or two justifications for catfishing someone and that is to protect or help someone or yourself from being subjected to illegal or harmful behavior by him.

Even then, you’re taking a big risk that may result in unnecessary trouble for you.

I cannot emphasize how important it is to avoid toxic and dangerous behavior like this.

When restricting this conversation to just romantic relationships, catfishing is only going to lead you down a path of heartbreak, humiliations, shame, regret, guilt and sadness. 

It’s just not worth it. 

If you’re still not convinced, well then, you need to ask yourself the following questions: How would you feel if someone catfished you?

With that being said, I hope this article on whether or not you should catfish him was informative, eye-opening and cautionary. If you would like to discuss this topic in more detail, please feel free to leave your thoughts and questions in the comment section below.