How To Be The Best Girlfriend In The World
Men are simple creatures with simple needs, and whoever told you differently is probably a man who insists he’s “not like other guys”. Yeah, we’ve never heard that one before…
This is actually great news for the multitude of women from Venus who are hoping to discover the secrets to making their Martian boyfriends happy (these tips will work on the human boyfriends, too).
It just so happens that, when it comes to women, there are universal and fundamental characteristics most men look for in a mate. The best part: none of this is rocket science. You don’t need a doctorate in human biology to achieve them.
So, without further ado…
10 Things a Great Girlfriend Should Do
1. Be Confident
Men like confidence in women, because confidence is sexy. Sexier, even, than the little black dress in the back of your closet – you know, the one that reveals a good amount of thigh. See, anyone can put on the “take me, take me now” dress, but it’s no good if you don’t have the confidence to pull it off.
A confident woman who is sure of herself and scoffs at insecurity is attractive to accomplished men. That’s the type of woman he can take to important business events, safe in the knowledge that she can hold her own and make him look good. He’ll take her over a beautiful but insecure woman any day.
So for all you beauty-challenged ladies, play up your confidence whenever you can.
2. Don’t Be Selfish
Getting what you want feels great and all, but you have to be prepared to give a little. If you want to keep your boyfriend happy (and keep him in general), you’re going to have to compromise and share. Yes, that means your time, too.
Relationships are about give and take, and women are notoriously known for doing a lot more of the latter than the former. Every now and then, try putting your boyfriend first. You won’t come up in hives if you step away from romcoms and watch an action movie with him once every six months, you know!
As for sharing your time, there’s a balance between being too present and being too absent that needs to be struck. It can be tough if you’re a businesswoman for whom something like sleep is a hindrance, but if you want your relationship to work, you’ll need to spend time with your boyfriend. A boyfriend who has to make an appointment to see his girlfriend won’t stick around long.
3. Respect His Space
Most guys can’t stand co-dependent, clingy girls. For men who do like that sort of thing, chances are they’re equally as clingy. (You couldn’t make a relationship more toxic unless you made both parties radioactive!)
Learn to show affection without gluing yourself to his arm, or showing up everywhere you know he’ll be. Ever heard the saying “less is more”? Well, less of you will make him more intrigued.
He’ll want to spend time with the boys, and you shouldn’t take it personally. He still loves you – a couple of rounds of golf and a few beers probably won’t change that. Do your own thing; you’re an individual, remember.
4. Cook
Why, how very misogynistic, you say. And yeah, to a certain extent, cooking for your boyfriend could be viewed that way. But I prefer to see it as doing something nice for the man you love. I mean, you do love him, right? (If you don’t, then scratch that, let him make his own dinner.) If you do love him, why wouldn’t you prepare a scrumptious meal for him every now and then?
Truth is, men appreciate a home-cooked meal (ideally well-cooked, but it’s the thought that counts). If a guy sees that you went to the trouble of cooking for him, no matter how it tastes he’ll be touched.
Warning: He might start expecting you to cook all of his meals. Shut that down immediately!
5. Take Care of Yourself
What, did you think that your days of plastering on makeup and doing gut-busting stomach crunches were over, now that you’ve bagged him? Did you cancel your gym membership and inform the staff that you were now able to let yourself go? Sorry, it doesn’t work like that.
Your boyfriend still wants to find you physically attractive, no matter how long you’ve been together. Stimulating him visually should be on your list of priorities. He isn’t expecting you to look your best all the time, but a little effort every now and then goes a long way.
Additionally, if you had the body of a gymnast when he met you, and you now have the body of a sumo wrestler, you’re asking too much of him. Taking care of yourself means eating well and exercising.
6. Apologize When You’re Wrong
Well, the problem here is that women never think they’re wrong! So let’s try this another way: apologize when you think there’s a chance – large or small – that you might be wrong, from someone else’s perspective, if considered in a different light, depending on all the factors…
People can say supercalifragilisticexpialidocious in their sleep, yet start choking when it’s time to say “I’m sorry”. So why is a three-syllable phrase so hard to say? Well, no one really likes to admit when they’re wrong, that’s why.
Knowing when to apologize is an important skill to master, because not knowing can spell the end of a relationship. Everyone should learn to own up to their mistakes. Be the bigger person when you need to be, but don’t overdo it. Overly apologetic people are just as annoying as those who never apologize.
7. Be Faithful and Honest
Trust is the foundation on which all relationships are built. Without it, you just have 2 people mistrusting each other and making each other miserable. There are enough things in this world that make us miserable (like people who can whistle when you can’t. God, I hate that!), so why add to them by being dishonest and/or unfaithful?
Lying, cheating, and all the other fun stuff the religious texts tell us not to do (lest we end up somewhere unpleasant when we die), are no-nos. Those are the kinds of things men take issue with.
If you simply have to lie, do it for his own good, so that when you get caught out, he won’t be as mad. If he makes you breakfast and the eggs taste like someone peed in them, smile and act like it’s the best meal you’ve ever tasted, then offer to do all the cooking in future.
8. Be Affectionate and Intimate
There’s a reason why men and women, despite their differences, just can’t seem to stay away from each other. They each bring different things to the relationship. Women bring warmth and comfort; and while a handful of men do like cold, heartless women, your boyfriend isn’t one of them (because all of those men have already been committed!).
Women are natural nurturers, and no matter how much of a tough guy he is, there will come a time (plenty of times, they’re not fooling anyone) when a man needs to be nurtured. A good girlfriend will be available when her boyfriend needs affection. A great girlfriend will pick up on the cues without him breathing a word.
With regards to intimacy of a more, um… carnal nature, it’s important to remember that men have needs. You might be perfectly happy going months without hanky panky, but that will make most men cranky. I don’t want to say you’re gonna have to put out, but… you’re gonna have to put out. When you’re comfortable doing so, of course.
9. Show Interest
Although you and your boyfriend will have things in common, there are bound to be other hobbies of his that boggle your mind. He might have tried explaining some of them to you, but your eyes glazed over.
Well, that’s in the past. The new you, the one who’s dedicated to becoming the best girlfriend in the world, wants to learn everything! Does he have an affinity for horse racing? Is he an astronomy buff who squeals when he sees the planets align? Get to know his geeky hobbies. You might find you like some of them, too.
Your own feelings towards these activities are secondary; the way he feels seeing you take an interest in things that matter to him is important. He’ll love you for making the effort. It will bring the two of you closer, especially if these are activities you can do as a couple.
10. Trust Him
A man will quickly grow tired of being accused of things he didn’t do, before proceeding to do them, because why not? Your boyfriend needs to know you trust him to go to the bakery and not touch other people’s muffins, if you know what I mean.
Final Word
Being the best girlfriend in the world, for the most part, requires a level of selflessness that you need to feel comfortable with in order to see this through. It’s important to note that none of this stuff should feel like a chore, or that you’d rather be doing anything else.
If trying to make your boyfriend happy only conjures up negative emotions in you, then you really need to reevaluate your true feelings for him.
