It’s been a good few years since I swiped through the litany of profiles dating apps present on a silver platter. But I’ll never be able to shake the impact of the sheer number of red flags I’ve encountered.

From the pictures of people holding fish (just why?) to lewd and crude introductions, my friends and I marvel to this day at the ridiculous things prospective partners have expressed or demanded while supposedly trying to chat us up. Between boring bios, the low-effort “hi” and instant (and uncomfortable) overfamiliarity, if you’re suffering from dating app burnout, it can often feel like there are more turn-offs than turn-ons.

But even back in my own dating days, one particular declaration stood out as the ultimate red flag: “I’m looking for someone who doesn’t take themself too seriously.”