Apparently, the secret to finding love in 2025 isn’t a perfect profile pic or well-timed emojis—it’s being your full, unfiltered weirdo self.
According to a survey by Plenty of Fish, the dating app polled over 5,200 U.S. adults and found that two of the year’s most common trends are all about authenticity. Enter: freak matching and grim keeping.
‘Freak Matching’ and ‘Grim Keeping’ Are Changing the Dating Game
Freak matching is what happens when two people click over a shared quirk, eccentricity, or niche interest—whether that’s a mutual obsession with haunted doll videos on TikTok, eating hot Cheetos with chopsticks, or communicating entirely in Lord of the Rings quotes. A solid 39% of survey respondents said they’ve connected with someone based on this kind of offbeat compatibility.
Dating coach Rachel DeAlto calls it a shift toward people “no longer trying to hide their freakazoidness.” And honestly, thank God. For too long, dating culture has revolved around self-polishing and pretending to be chill about things you deeply care (or rage) about.
Of course, there are levels to this. Showing up to a first date in full latex with a bag of whips and shouting “This is who I am!” may be… a bit much. As DeAlto puts it, maybe just “drip” your true self out over time. But the point stands: if you can’t be weird around your person, why even bother?
The related trend, grim keeping, is all about bonding over mutual dislikes. Like when two people get giddy over how much they both despise slow walkers or people who use speakerphone in public. It’s less about being negative and more about getting real. 28% of respondents said they’ve clicked with someone over shared pet peeves.
“People can resonate more with negativity,” says DeAlto. “It’s when both of you hate something.” In other words, hating the same things can be just as powerful as loving the same things—maybe even more.
Together, these trends are making dating feel a little less like auditioning and a little more like hanging out with someone who just gets you. Freak matching and grim keeping might not sound sexy, but they’re refreshing as hell.
Be your weird self. Talk your smack. Find someone who laughs with you about the worst dishwasher-loading techniques on Earth. That’s love in 2025.
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