11 Things Men Do That Push Strong Women Away

Men say they want a woman who has opinions and will stand up for herself if she needs to. They say they want a woman who’s independent, ambitious, and can take care of herself. But then when they find a woman with all those qualities, they don’t know how to deal with it. Maybe it takes a certain kind of man to truly be happy with a strong woman, while the rest of them end up doing things (accidentally or not) that just drive them away.

1. Needing too much reassurance

No confident woman wants to be spending time constantly making sure her guy knows how great she thinks he is. It’s exhausting to have to deal with someone else’s low self-esteem, so chances are she won’t be interested in a guy like this for long. It’s not that she won’t show she cares, but she’s not here to be a constant ego boost.

2. Not being able to control his jealousy issues

A strong woman is friends with whoever she wants to be friends with, including guys, and the occasional ex. If a guy can’t handle that, she will gladly go back to being single. She doesn’t need him blowing up her phone every time she leaves the house without him or asking who she’s talking to every time she’s texting. He needs to chill, because this stuff will always push strong women away.

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4. Trying way too hard

There’s a difference between being persistent in your pursuit of her and being a nuisance. If she’s interested, she’ll let you know, so cool it. Sure, she won’t chase a guy who acts aloof or disinterested, but there’s no need to go over the top to the point that he seems disingenuous or desperate.

5. Trying to control her

If he’s trying to tell her what to do in the beginning, it will only get worse. Strong, independent women can spot this type of guy a mile away, and they steer clear. She won’t be told what she can do, wear, think, say, eat or anything else. Nice try, bro.

6. Emotional manipulation

Just because a woman is strong doesn’t mean she isn’t aware of her emotions. She’s just fully in control of them, and she knows when someone is trying to use them against her. There’s no way she’ll let this happen because she’s probably been there in the past, so she knows all the warning signs.

7. Playing too many games

This is one of the easiest ways to push strong women away. She’s straightforward and clear about what she wants. She isn’t going to humor a guy who thinks he can trick her into anything because he can’t. Why pretend? Be honest, straightforward, and don’t play mind games. It’s really that simple.

8. Rushing her into a relationship

Ultimatums will never work on a strong woman. The only way she’s getting into a relationship is if she wants to be in a relationship. She doesn’t take kindly to being rushed, because it would never work out in the end anyway. She knows herself too well.

9. Being possessive way too soon

If he starts getting all territorial around other guys and they haven’t even talked about being exclusive yet, it’s pretty much guaranteed she’s going to want to take a couple of huge steps back. She will never be owned by anyone, and guys need to remember that.

10. Being too needy

A strong woman has her own life and her own goals, and she needs time to devote to those things. If she likes a guy, she’ll make time for him, but she’s never going to put up with him holding her back. If he doesn’t have a life of his own to keep him occupied, she’ll never stay interested.

11. Pouting when he doesn’t get his own way

Strong women want equally strong partners and acting like a baby will only push them away. Sometimes life doesn’t go your way, and if a guy throws a tantrum every time that happens, it’s just not gonna wash. Buck up, pal.

12. Guilt-tripping her for not making him the center of her world

At the end of the day, strong women don’t need anyone to complete them because they’re already whole. If a guy can’t handle the fact that he complements her life rather than completes it, it’s never going to work.

By day, Courtney is a digital marketing copywriter living in Toronto, Canada. By night, she's a freelance lifestyle writer who, in addition to Bolde.com, contributes regularly to AmongMen.ca, IN Magazine, and SheBlogs Canada. Want to chat about relationships, Stephen King or your favorite true crime podcast/documentary/book? She's on Twitter @courtooo.
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