9 Things To Look For In Your Future Partner
Honesty
Trust is essential in any relationship, making honesty an attractive quality in a future husband. In an article on Unwritten, Stephanie Tate even suggests that when women say they like men with a sense of humor, this may be connected to a need for honesty. As she puts it, humor is “a completely genuine, involuntary reaction to a situation. What could possibly be more honest than a person caught up in a moment of unrestrained joy?”
Humility
No one likes a braggart, a show-off, or a sore loser, and you certainly don’t want to commit to a lifetime of dealing with these traits. The ability to be genuinely humble in a wide variety of situations is a sign he’s a keeper.
Confidence
I know, I just stressed how important humility is, but you can have too much of a good thing. It’s hard to get the balance right, but the perfect mix of humility and confidence is always desirable, in both men and women.
Self-awareness
Self-awareness is one of the things we should probably all develop to prepare ourselves for a good marriage. Self-aware people deal with conflict better, take responsibility when needed and make better decisions in every area of life.
Kindness
Kindness, empathy and compassion go a long way. This is a great example of how deeper qualities can be more important than a sense of humor. Sometimes a kind word or gesture will do more to cheer and comfort you than all the joke-cracking in the world.
Respect
There are few things more attractive than a man who truly respects women. You know you’re in a mutually respectful relationship when you’re able to listen to each other, appreciate each other’s differences and adapt your behavior to allow for your partner’s ideas, values and preferences.
Being able to respectfully disagree is also vital in a world where you’re never going to agree on everything.
Attentiveness
The simple ability to listen is a hugely underestimated trait. If your man gives you his full attention, truly listens to you and takes on board what you have to say, that bodes well for your future marriage.
Manners
In a world fast advancing towards gender equality, there’s an argument that chivalry is either dead or no longer relevant. If women want to be equal, we can’t expect men to open doors and pull out chairs, or generally take care of us.
Chivalry may or may not be dead, but manners never go out of style. Being polite and considerate are traits we all need in our husbands. If you’re still wondering if chivalry and equality are incompatible, Lulu Chang does a great job of explaining how they can coexist in this article.
Loyalty
If loyalty is a desirable trait in friends and family members, it’s even more important in a potential husband. Be aware of how loyal spouses treat each other, so you can spot if your potential mate is naturally inclined towards loyalty.
Loyalty tends to grow over time, of course, but acting in a disloyal way early on in the relationship should definitely raise a red flag.
