Find me a man who has been in love, and I’ll find you one who’s made countless relationship mistakes. Now as much as I would like to profess our faultlessness in all things love related, that couldn’t be further from the truth. As men, we mess up … it’s as simple as that.
So in an effort to help the brotherhood get its collective act together, I’ve decided to highlight 5 Common Relationship Mistakes Made by Men. (Don’t worry women; your day in the hot seat is coming soon.)
1. Once you get her, you begin to slack off.
In the beginning, you were a model citizen. You were caring, attentive, and even performed the unthinkable … as in, you snuggled up and watched a “Basketball Wives” marathon. (Oh, the horror.)
By doing those things, you proved your capacity to be the perfect guy. The only problem is you haven’t kept it up. Now, the only time that you resemble a gentleman is when you remember to put the toilet seat down … and that only happens sometimes.
2. You get too serious, too fast.
There are some men who have no interest in commitment. And then there’s you. To women, you are the frightening opposite–you’re the guy who wants to immediately commit … after the 2nd date. Here’s a suggestion: Before you start discussing marriage and kids, you may want to learn her last name first. It’s time to slow down, playboy.
3. You don’t show enough attention.
A wise man once said that there are three certainties in life: death, taxes, and your woman needing attention. Today, our focus is squarely on the latter.
In no way is this piece suggesting that a man should immediately drop all of his life goals to attend to his woman’s every whim. But you also can’t ignore her. By doing so, you open the door to every Tom, Dick and Bobby Brown that wants to fill the attention void that you’ve so conveniently created. So step up and find the necessary balance … if you don’t, someone else will.
strong>4. She runs the relationship.
I have yet to meet a woman who desires a man with no backbone. In fact, nothing decreases sex drive more than a man who’s incapable of standing up for himself. My grandmother always told me that a woman wants a man, not a puppy. Yet sadly, some men believe that the only way they can keep a woman around is by doubling as her pet, and agreeing with everything that she says. Big mistake buddy … big mistake.
5. The relationship is going nowhere.
Perhaps the greatest mistake that a man can make is believing that his woman is interested in being a career girlfriend. If a year passes, and no forward progress is made, you will certainly hear about it. In her eyes, your desire to keep the relationship in neutral is an even bigger mistake than Lamar Odom posing shirtless for a unisex perfume commercial.
The Fly Conclusion: Now that I’ve outlined the common relationship mistakes made by men, a choice must be made. Will you continue to be snared by these common relational pitfalls? Or will you learn from the mistakes of others, and get your act together? For your sake, and for the sake of your relationship, I pray you choose the latter.
Next week, we’ll discuss common relationship mistakes made by women … all 27 of them. (just kidding … or am I?)
