If You Can't Keep Up, Shut Up

Sometimes we seek people who we think are a good match for us because they have a quality that we only wished we had.  He is fun, she is attractive and smart--they both like to party.  So we reason in our minds, "I want a relationship like theirs."  Knowing full well we are ill-equipped to handle certain personalities and interests. 

Whether you are an introvert or extrovert, rich, poor, happy or miserable, it would make sense to update yourself on what you like and don't like in a relationship.  Maybe you have changed over the years.  If you find yourself getting out more alone, then most likely you will be more adventurous with someone you are dating.  Test yourself on some of those interests others enjoy before you make them your own.  If you find yourself having to struggle to keep up with your dates, you are most likely pretending to be something you are not.  Some people just aren't active, don't enjoy eating healthy, or stepping out of their comfort zones.  Others are insecure and jealous.  They don't know how to deal with public stares, out-spoken individuals, or friends, exes, family etc.  Knowing this, you can't make anyone be something they are not (at least for a long period of time).  You might be able to persuade an individual to think outside of the box, but how long they stay out the box is ultimately up to them.

Over the years, I have dated cookie cutter kind of men.  They all were cut from the same dough and shaped the same way in their thought processes.  Most enjoyed pretty much the same things--eating, sleeping, watching sports on TV, and sex on weekends.  When I tried to get them to open up about other interests, they looked at me with a dumb look or criticized me for my ideas.  Some of these men really meant well and attempted to impress me by thinking outside the box, but that was short-lived. 

When dating, you have to honestly know what you like and don't like and be sincere when you communicate your interests, boundaries and other similar things to your dates.  Putting on an act, like you are the creative type when you know you are really the logical type, will only cause friction in your future relationship.  Pretending like you are an extrovert when in fact you know you are an introvert will only cause unnecessary conflict.  From saints to sinners, don't try to be something you know you are not deep down inside just because you think it impresses someone, you are gaining some type of material wealth, etc. 

Too often couples attempt to change one another.  He doesn't like his partner acting friendly toward others so he acts negatively in an effort to get her to stop being so cordial.  She doesn't like the fact he is a couch potato so she nags him about going places.  If you can't keep up, shut up!  No sense in arguing about why a date doesn't like, doesn't want, or doesn't enjoy your company and vice versa.  Avoid the temptation to exaggerate or lie about who you are and what you like from the beginning!  Take notice of those subtle signs a date is not the one before you agree to settle down with someone who may or may not be your match. 

Nicholl McGuire