Finding a Decent Guy

The other day I sat down with one of my housemates and we realised that, despite having different tastes in men, we still have core values or qualities that we'd like a guy to possess. It reminded me of a while back, when I was scrolling through tumblr and I came across a hilarious post on 'fuckboys' (excuse her french but, I mean, she has a point). So I decided to write a blog post, perhaps misleadingly titled, because I want to help you to spot the dodgy guys, the ones you should probably avoid at all costs.

I've already found the man of my dreams

THEIR MOTHER. If they treat their mother badly but still expect her to do everything for them, they're not worth your time. You can easily learn how a guy will treat you from how he treats his mother. In fact, you can easily learn how a guy will treat you from how he treats any other women, or other people in general. Watch how he treats waiters, barmen, pizza delivery drivers, taxi drivers, even his friends, if that makes you uncomfortable it's probably a tell-tale sign of his true personality.

THEIR PAST. Listen to how they speak about their ex girlfriends, or girls they used to see. This is a really big indicator of how they will go on to treat you, or speak about you. If they tell you that all of their ex girlfriends were crazy or 'psychos', you may want to think about that. There may be a reason for it... If they're a serial dater, that's also a big no-no. Yes there are probably decent guys who are stuck in the dating game, but there may be a reason why they've been single for so long, or gone through so many women.

THEIR HOUSEMATES. If you go to their house, look at their relationship with house-mates. How they get on with the people that they live with will help to show what they are truly like. Also, the kind of people they live with will probably affect their behaviour. I hate to say it, but a house of 'lads' is probably bad news.

THEIR HABITS. It seems like a stupid thing to say, and I'm not saying we have to restrain ourselves to fit to "gender norms" here, but I like to think that chivalry isn't dead. Guys who offer to pay, go out of their way for you, open doors and are polite are the kind of guys you want to look for. Be wary of those who seem too self interested to pay attention to such things. Nearly every girl wants a gentleman.

THEIR SEX LIFE. Now, I'm not saying you should hop into bed with someone as soon as you meet them, though of course that is your choice, but when it does come down to it, guys that assume that they don't have to use a condom are guys that you want to avoid. If they're assuming they don't have to use a condom with you, they've probably assumed it with other people too. Sex is about conversation and consent, if he's trying to sleep with you without discussing contraception first, he's not exactly a 'keeper'.

THEIR SIBLINGS. Only children as well as boys who were babied are the ones to look out for. If they were spoiled by their parents they're likely to act that way as they continue on in life. You want someone who is independent and self-sufficient. There's nothing worse than a guy who has to return home for his Mum to do his laundry because he doesn't know how to use the washing machine himself.

THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR FRIENDS. How they treat your friends is nearly as important as how they treat you. Trust me, your life will be hell on earth if your friends don't get along with your guy. You want him to treat your friends with respect, and for them to like him, or at least see why others could. The same goes for your family, if they don't get along with him, it's not going to be plain sailing for you, but it is also likely to be for a reason.