I've been wondering about this type of thing, also. On one hand, a person can lie and start out a relationship knowing that they haven't been truthful from the start. Or they can be truthful and hope that their SO isn't so appalled that it destroys the relationship.
The way I see it is, that if a person is in their 30's or so, they either have a past, or have been chained up in their basement their whole lives. But the fact is, some people will care about someone's past, while others won't. But for me, if I were to be completely honest in answering the question of "how many women are in your past?" my answer would be:
"I've had a few serious relationships, several not so serious, and dozens of one night stands."
Now for me, I feel that there are some women out there that would be totally appalled by my past. So would i actually give that answer, even though it is the true answer? I don't know. Depends on who's asking and why, I guess, I don't know. But those who are reading this, and read my honest answer to the question, can see why I might be compelled to lie, or at least tone down the truth a bit. Personally, I feel that lying in a relationship has the potential later on to cause problems. But in my case, telling the truth also has the potential to open up a can of worms, since my past involves a bit more debauchery than normal.
Maybe thats why morals are to be followed in the first place, huh? So someone doesn't have to deal with shit like this in their lives? Maybe. But then again, if there was a woman who needed to know about my past, and found it hurtful after finding out the truth, well, I feel thats something that SHE has to deal with. I'll give an example. My brother is married for the second time. His second wife holds it against him for being married and having kids before he met her. I've seen firsthand how sometimes she would subtly try to make him feel bad for having a relationship before he met her. Its like she is hurt that he felt love for another woman before he loved her, so she has to get him back for it. Almost like trying to make him pay for it. Yeah, its stupid, I know. But emotions and logical thinking are two different things, we all know.
But the way I see it, is where was she when my brother was married to his first wife? Wherever she was, did she care about my brother then? No. Did she even know my brother then? No. If she saw my brother and his first wife walking down the street together when they were married, would she get mad about it? No, she didn't even know who he was at that time. She was out living her own life doing whatever.
Point is, if she was indifferent to what my brother was doing at that time, why should she get mad, or jealous at him for it now?
So despite someone's past, if someone didn't give a shit about you doing those things while you were doing them, why crucify you after your done doing them simply because they came to know you since then?
I personally don't give a crap about Brittany Spears marrying that Kevin whoever dude, and having a kid. I don't think about it one bit. None of my business. And I sure don't feel any jealousy or resentment because of it.
But if somehow, some fucking trillion to 1 series of events occurred, and 5 years from now Brittany Spears gets divorced and ends up marrying me. Do I get all jealous and resentful that she loved another man before she met me? Some people would.
But I don't give a crap now about how she lives her life, why should I suddenly start giving a crap about (what would be) her past? Makes no sense, right? Right.
So, to sum it all up, I may have a checkered past, but if a woman wants to hold it against me, she should've stepped in THEN, while it was happening. Instead of getting pissed at me about it now.
I mean, who thinks, "I better not go out with this beautiful woman tonight because six years from now I'm going to meet someone special, and when they find out that I went out with this woman now, they will hold it against me. Yup, I'd better break my date for tonight for that very reason!"
It doesn't happen that way.