As we’re growing up we see princes and princesses littering our television and filling our minds with such sensationalized visions of what true love is. While we might not all get a custom made glass slipper in this lifetime, that doesn’t mean that we should be settling for men who don’t have some of the most basic and attainable traits that make up what we believe is a “good man.” Here are the 8 virtues that every man should have:
1. He is, in every sense of the word, a gentleman.
This doesn’t mean that he has to pay for every single date you go out on and it doesn’t mean that he has to lay down on top of a puddle for you to step on him so that you don’t get your feet wet (and yes that used to be a thing). This means that he’s kind to not only you, but everyone he knows. This means that he treats others with respect and doesn’t associate closely with others who are blatantly disrespectful. We know the modern age has been allowing men to get away with a lot of different things but we believe being a gentleman goes past saying “please” and “thank you.”
2. He has some sort of goal or ambition.
Whether it’s getting that new promotion at work or strengthening his relationship with his brother, he should have some sort of motivation in his life. With this in mind, it’s also important for you to not be overly judgmental of him. As long as he has a goal and is doing what he can to work towards achieving it, that’s a step in the right direction.
3. He has a no nonsense type of approach to life and relationships.
Nothing is worse than the guy who refuses to make a decision or blows everything serious off. You don’t want a “whatever” man, you want the man who will tell you where he sees your relationship going and one who will be up front about what his thoughts are. Prying feelings out of a man is a past time that no one enjoys.
4. He is honest.
This one pretty much goes without saying. If you’re with a man and you feel compelled to snoop through his text messages or check in on him every hour when he’s out with friends, run for the hills. There is nothing more pointless than being in a relationship that has no trust because when it comes down to it, you can’t rely on a man you can’t trust.
5. He is faithful.
Not only should he be faithful to you (obviously) but also pay attention to the way he treats his friends. If he is extremely quick to turn on them or is constantly talking poorly of them to you behind their backs then you may want to think twice before committing to him. Think about it, if he’s known his friends for this long and turns on them so quickly, where does that put you in his life?
6. He doesn’t act like a prepubescent 12 year old boy.
In other words, he’s mature. While there’s nothing wrong with him wanting to bro out with his boys or play video games for a few hours to decompress after work, you also can’t date a man-child. Pay attention to the way he handles disagreements and how he deals with less than ideal situations. You don’t want to have to hear him whine every time he doesn’t get his way in an argument.
7. He is confident not cocky.
Sometimes we use these words interchangeably, but when it comes to virtue they hold very different meanings. A confident man doesn’t second guess himself at every turn, but is still open to hearing other’s opinions and discussing the options. A cocky man has a “my way or the high way” attitude that can come off as him being a “bad boy.” While we all love the thrill of a bad boy they just aren’t the commitment type and nine times out of ten you’ll be wasting your time with them.
8. He approaches life with a positive attitude.
Now, to be clear we don’t mean someone who is seeing everything through rose colored glasses. We mean the type of man who doesn’t let the little things ruin his entire day. If a cup of spilled milk gets him all riled up just image what would happen if he spilled the whole gallon (not literally but you know what we mean with our whole milk analogy—pun intended). A man who doesn’t sweat the small stuff will help you to brush off little problems as well that way when you eventually encounter a big issue you won’t immediately freak out.