What's a Romantic Deal Breaker?

By Sherm Wilson


In today's society, it's no surprise to find everyone looking for romance. We're all seeking that person who's going to make us feel whole. We're all on the hunt for that certain man or woman who will complement us perfectly.

Of course, it goes without saying that if we have an idea of all the attributes that special person should have, we also have some pretty clear thoughts on some traits they shouldn't possess. Basically, we have a number of deal breakers that can cause us to walk away from a potential mate.

Clearly, deal breakers come in a variety of flavors. What may be a deal breaker for you may not be an issue for someone else. (One man's meat is another man's poison, as they say.) For example, one guy may think girls with hairy legs are gross, while another may think it's natural and have no problem with it.

Lots of women have deal breakers when dating a man. For instance, many women won't date a man who is shorter than they are. (A female friend of mine once explained this to me, saying that you often feel like you have to protect them when you go out, as opposed to the other way around.) It's often a deal breaker if a guy doesn't have a car. Or if he's still living with his parents past a particular age. Yes, women do indeed have a lot of deal breakers. (And maybe that's the way it should be. After all, a girl can't be too careful.)

Likewise, men may tend to apply certain deal breakers to their romantic partners. For instance, if a woman has a lot of body hair (think chest hair - or even facial hair), then that might cause some guys to call it quits. Or if a girl has something perpetually stuck in her teeth.

In short, even platonic relationships often invoke our pet peeves in various ways. With romantic relationships, where the stakes are often higher, it's not unexpected that each of us will have certain things that we classify as deal breakers when it comes to the person that we expect to complete us.




About the Author: