The Older You Get, The More Important These 8 Guy Qualities Become

When you’re young, it’s easy enough to fall for a guy because he’s hot and because even if he ends up being an dirtbag, you’re not necessarily looking for your future husband at that point. But as you get older, you stop caring so much about what a guy looks like and start looking for these 8 qualities that give him more long-term potential:

1. He’s consistent and reliable. If you’ve dated guys in the past who have been nothing but hot and cold and unwilling to commit, you really come to appreciate a guy who’s consistent and realiable. In fact, it becomes the sexiest qualities he can have. Long gone are the days of not knowing whether you’ll hear from him again and second guessing everything about your relationship. A real man will say what he means and stick to his word.
2. He doesn’t feed you BS lies. This is definitely a no-brainer, but it seems harder and harder to find. You’ve most likely experienced at least one guy who’s a pathological liar, so finding one who knows how to tell the truth, even if it’s hard to hear, becomes really important. No one wants to waste their time dating a serial liar, no matter how good looking he is.
3. He’s got his act together. When you’re 18 and have plenty of time, it’s fine to date the super fun guy who isn’t serious about much of anything. When you’re creeping up on 30 and he doesn’t have his life together, it’s a bit more stressful. Finding a guy who knows what he wants, is working towards his goals and is focused as well as fun becomes a dating priority.
4. He’s on the same page as you about the big stuff. Even though they say opposites attract, you need to have the big things in common or it’ll just never work. Once you hit your late 20s, you pretty much know who you are and what you want, and therefore know what you want in a partner. Having different interests is totally normal, but being on the same page for the major things is crucial. It’s important for you to connect on multiple levels that go beyond just attraction.
5. He’d never cheat — he’d break up with you if he wanted to be with someone else. This shouldn’t be something you have to specifically seek out, but unfortunately these days, it is. Your younger self may have overlooked red flags or even forgiven your guy for being unfaithful, but the wiser, more mature version of you looks for the guy who’d never do it in the first place — and if he does, you’d leave his ass in the dust.
6. He knows how to hold a decent conversation. If you’re picking a guy for life, caring less about his six pack and more about the fact that he can string together a proper sentence will serve you well. Intelligence is sexy, and having a guy who can challenge you and help you continue to be a better version of yourself is amazing.
7. He’s mature enough to compromise. Compromise makes the world go round, and in relationships, it’s the key to success. It’s definitely a two way street, so if you find a guy who will watch chick flicks with you because you watched football with him, well, you’ve got a keeper.
8. He shows your family and friends as much respect as he shows you. If you’re dating a guy who can’t be nice to the people you love, he has no place in your life. Being able to have respectful and positive relationships with each others friends and families is a sign of a mature, healthy relationship, and it’s definitely important.