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He's Perfect, So Why Don't I Like Him?

Rich, smart, handsome and Jewish! So why doesn't he make her heart go a pitter-pat?

Aren't we single ladies always on the quest to find the perfect man? Just yesterday, I was on that quest. And then I met him. For the sake of this post, let's call this perfect man John. John is smart, nice, good-looking, Jewish (which matters a lot to my mother), and would spoil me rotten as my boyfriend. He's not just your average amount of smart; he's employed at a top web company (one you use on a regular basis) and is destined to be more successful than anyone I know. The Frisky: Obsessing Over Finding Love Won't Make It Happen Faster

He's not just your average amount of nice; he has mastered chivalry to a T and is so caring that it makes my judgmental soul squirm. And he's also not just sort of good-looking. Rather, every time one of my friends meets him, their first response is: "Wow, John's hot." I can totally tell they're eyeing him for themselves. Oh, and did I mention that John's after me like Tyra on the search for "America's Next Top Model"? The Frisky: 8 So-Called "Chivalrous" Moves That Creep Us Out

I should be in heaven, right? But I'm not. Because as perfect as he is, John just doesn't make me want to rip my clothes off. And I don't know why.

I just don't have an inkling of a crush on John. Despite all of my friends thinking he's handsome, I don't find him all that attractive. I try to take a step past the superficial and focus my attraction on his kind nature and gifted mind, but it's not working. We've had lunch dates at my favorite eateries (he even sacrificed meat for one meal to dine with me at my favorite vegetarian restaurant) and spent late nights talking. We even took a trip to the local farmers' market and he paid for my breakfast burrito—around my parts, it doesn't get more first date than that. Plus, we've also had the usual unexpected run-ins on the street and in each instance the butterflies just aren't fluttering. I'm just not that into him. The Frisky: Mate Poaching: Single Girls Are More Interested In Taken Men

Well, that is, when I'm with him, I'm just not that into him. When I'm bored and daydreaming the day away (which is often), I am soooo into John. His looks, his charm, his success… and he likes me?!?! Of course I have a crush on him when he's not around! He is my perfect guy. But something is just not in sync when we're together. The birds don't sing, the sky doesn't shine a special kind of blue, and I'm not hoping that our time together will last forever. What else could I possibly want? Why aren't my hormones having the usual reaction to him? The Frisky: MERRIme, A Web Comedy About Online Dating

More on relationships from The Frisky:

83% Can RelateCan you relate?

Discussion

Jadailha Single I'm a romantic failure
Can't Relate - Posted 3 weeks ago

You described the man as "perfect" and your friends and family both like him. He's has a good background, education, health, and he's a gentleman. Perhaps you should take a moment to really think about why you don't want him.

In the meantime, get to know him more and please, don't give him up without an incredible reason. Men like him are few and far between, and most women would be grateful to have one of his type.

Not all men have the ability to just send electric sexual shock waves in women. Then again in the big picture of relationships, everything can't be perfect. If you can find a partner that can provide you with a healthy relationship, then don't let him go.

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KathNChloe Taken
Can Relate - Posted 3 weeks ago

You may not be ready to meet the perfect guy... may want to let this one go and continue dating.

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susanawalsh Married
Can Relate - Posted October 23, 2009

There is a rational explanation for this. John is night right for you, hormonally speaking. Each of us is instinctively to members of the opposite sex who have a dissimilar genetic footprint. Studies show that when you give women sweaty, dirty guys' t-shirts, they will be repelled by guys with similar genes, and turned on by guys with dissimilar genes. Dissimilarity results in healthier offspring, so we look for it unconsciously in a mate. My guess is that John just isn't a good genetic match for you. If you don't crave his smell, he's definitely not.

A new study shows that taking the Pill changes the way you smell guys, and the way they smell you. In which case, John might be perfect for you, but because the Pill is smoothing out your hormones during the month, you're missing important cues. Interesting food for thought. Here's the link to the full story:

http://www.hookingupsmart.com/2009/10/22/hookinguprealities/is-the-pill-...

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susanawalsh Married
Posted October 23, 2009

Sorry, that should read NOT RIGHT

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tutty Taken
Can't Relate, But Hear Ya - Posted October 22, 2009

OmG! I cant relate to this situation but i know what u are going thru, since i have a friend that has the same problem. She meet this guy who in her eyes, appears to be her perfect guy. But she doesnt fit with the guy (well thats what she says) But I think that we gotta stop looking for the perfect guy.....sometimes the best person to be with, is the oposite of all those things you wish for!

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Scot McKay Married
Posted October 19, 2009

My educated guess is that despite seeming perfect in every logical way, he isn't doing his part to create masculine/feminine polarity. In other words, he's coming off as neuter rather than demonstrating those powerful traits of true masculinity that ignite femininity.

Make no mistake. Two neuter creatures cannot "attract" each other. Rest assured you haven't done anything wrong, and there is by no means anything to feel guilty about. What's going on is very real.

BTW, "masculine" is not to be confused with "macho".

Cheers,

Scot McKay
http://www.deservewhatyouwant.com

Score: 0
BookMama Married Happily Married
Posted October 19, 2009

How in the world are you going to stay faithful to someone for 20 years if you're not attracted to them?

What about him? How is he going to feel in a few years if you don't really want to have sex with him?

What if you have kids? Do you want to teach your daughter that she should expect to marry a guy she doesn't want to have sex with? Do you want to teach your son that wives don't like sex? Do you want to stay married for your kids' sake if your marriage is sexless? if you find someone else who you love and want to sleep with?

Unless you suddenly find attraction growing between you two, don't do this to yourself or him.

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bogart4017 Married
Can Relate - Posted October 19, 2009

Like the old song goes "If it don't fit, don't force it".
Clearly there is no chemistry there. What good is it if you've got a great provider and father for your children if there's no passion?

Score: 1
daqueengurl Single Rigid heart.
Can Relate - Posted October 19, 2009

Anyway, everybody in 'da ause' has contributed well. the fact is, we all set out characteristics that we will like in a partner, and immediately we found someone with about 85 or 90% of those xtics, we get convince that the person is our ideal partner. I have found myself in this shoe and it made me cry all night long, as this guy has all that i could ever wanted in my man, but can't really describe how the moments we share together are. LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP, is what i concluded on after i discovered that I dont just love this guy the way i want to love my boo. If I had taken my time before going into the relationship with him, I would know I didnt have true feelings for him. But MY ADVICE is : Pick out those things that you dont really like about him, as these might be the reason why you find it difficult to love him, If you can live with those things, then you can go ahead, do little work on him, you can still love him with time. But if you cannot live with those things, then, you have to get out of the relationship before it is too late for the two of you. In my own case, i decided to walk on those thing that does not make me to love him the way i supposed, and now, I love him and our relationship holds a bright future.

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Africanlegend Single I attract chaos (haha)
Can Relate - Posted October 17, 2009

Well I think people make the mistake of taking a materialistic approach to things. That I will be attracted to someone if the have attribute X,Y and Z. Truth is attraction does not work based on some predetermined pattern. Mr nice guys is everything a woman wants and gives her exactly what she asks for. Compare that to this scenario. You buy a good video game and it is excellent to play. Once you complete the video game and get to the last stage. It looses all its intrigue and you probably set it down and do not play it again. Even guys will find their super nice guy friend to be a bit a of a boring drag and will often make fun of him haha,

So stop making lists of stuff your perfect guy will have and just be open to a guy that manages to move you inside and is not a total Dbag, whether he is Jewish or not (remember you have to spend the rest of your life with him not your mom).

www.stuff-about.com

Score: 1
sunny1 Taken
Can Relate - Posted October 16, 2009

I have to admit, I'm further into the same kind of situation. At first I was quite attracted to a man most women tell me is "perfect". He's very zen-like, very kind, considerate, generous, extremely handsome, very intelligent, and we relate workwise and philosophically. But there just isn't that real chemistry between us, the glue that holds things together when times get tough. I'm really looking at why I'm not really interested anymore. And what is has come down to is the fact that he has kids, the fact that his kids are very disciplined, have no work ethic, and the fact that he's just not really manly. If the boat we were on was sinking or if something bad happened, I can't really say that I trust he can take care of things. I realize it's a two-way street but women want men they know they can trust to protect them, not a man they have to worry about if trouble happens. Am I too picky? Do I stay because he has everything else?

Score: 0
sandunguera22 Engaged
Can Relate - Posted October 19, 2009

We are not living in cave man times.... and I seriously doubt that you guys are living on a boat.

These days, when people refer to a sinking boat, they are referring to financial problems.

My ex is a very capable man. He is a rescue diver....drives a motorcycle... can do relatively complex plumbing jobs and achieve relatively good results. Being a rescue diver, I could be sure I'd never drown.... a comforting thought, I guess. But he was constantly broke... irresponsible... and a drinker.

My fiance can barely swim. He has never driven a boat or a motorcycle. I think I could probably beat him if we arm wrestled. BUT, in my opinion, he is the strongest and most reliable man in the world. He has a great career, is super responsible, and is super supportive. He would hire a plumber... and get them to do a perfect job.

Girlie, we are not living in the cave man days anymore... so you don't have to choose a mate based on his ability to kill cave bears. Think long term.

Score: 0
RandomGuy Single
Can Relate - Posted October 16, 2009

Having been on both sides of the coin before, I think anybody in a situation like the one in this article should stop thinking about what they -should- do, or what anybody else will think or any of that, and ask yourself "Why is it that I am not attracted to this person?" and be completely honest with yourself. Chances are that you need to work on you and maybe even grow up a bit.

Of course I'm not saying that it's always the case that the person who can't be attracted to this other person needs to grow up or work on themselves but doesn't it make the most sense to be able to rule that out first? If you ask yourself, I mean really ask yourself why you're attracted to this guy or that guy and why you're not attracted to this particular guy, and why you like what you like, and why you get with a certain type of guy, and all of those important things, and can honestly say that there's nothing you need to improve about that or work on, then you can say it's just this one particular guy and nothing else. And if you can't honestly say that there's nothing you need to improve or work on, then if you work on it now, you will have saved yourself years of unnecessary bad relationships and bad situations, and years of the emotional trauma that comes with all of them.

Part of becoming an adult is dropping childish things, including involving anything or anybody else in your relationship but you and the other person in it. It does not matter what anybody else says you should do or should like, it only matters what you personally know that you should do or should like based only on your own sense.

I'm speaking from experience, as a guy who has worked on everything that I needed to work on about myself, and who at the very least can say that I don't cause my own problems or get into unnecessary drama anymore and thus can choose to only surround myself with those who I know are the type of people I want to surround myself with. I'm not saying anybody's life will get better who does this but wouldn't you want to ensure that you don't ever shoot yourself in the foot so to speak?

Score: 1
sandunguera22 Engaged
Can Relate - Posted October 19, 2009

Wow... you hit the nail on the head. I think this writer sounds a bit emotionally immature.

She doesn't really say it outright, but I think that she is not attracted to this guy because he lacks certain macho characteristics....characteristics that I think that most mature women in happy and stable relationships with good men can all agree are BS.

Birds don't necessarily sing and the sky doesn't necessarily fill with fireworks when you meet the guy of your dreams. We are living in the REAL WORLD here, not some chick flick movie. The characteristics that make you compatible are not necessarily obvious at first glance, so getting to know someone is a process.

As a girl who has dated a fair number of bad boys.... I can definitely say that I am happy to be marrying a good boy.

A good man isn't the macho, domineering type. He lets you be YOU. I think that is a problem for a lot of girls, because a girl is not comfortable with being herself, because she isn't really sure who that is. A woman.... well... that's a different story.

Score: 0
EvansChance Single non-existant
Posted October 16, 2009

People often wonder why I don't date. I'm in my late-30s, well-off, a partner in a law firm, have the physique of a fitness model (and that's no exaggeration), and I'm very active in the art and entertainment communities. People tell me that I'm reasonably attractive, yet I doubt any woman has ever been attracted to me. It sucks because I end up going to really cool events alone - the Oscars, Hollywood parties, tropical vacations... It seems that the vast majority of women would rather flirt with the "cute" bartender who can't make rent than explore a relationship with a guy who has a great personality and has his act together. While I have many women-friends, I am just not their "type." They say it's a numbers game. But the numbers are way too small for me to waste my time playing the stupid game. I have a life to live.

Score: 1
sandunguera22 Engaged
Can Relate - Posted October 19, 2009

Well... referring to yourself as having the physique of a "fitness model" sort of raises up personality red flags.

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zina2800 Single
Can Relate - Posted October 16, 2009

OMG I CAN REALLY RELATE!!

I was dating and almost got engaged to a guy I used to refer to my friends as "Mr. perfect" (what a coincidence, huh?). My friends and family looooved him, and so did I. The only problem was, there was very little sexual chemistry.

We were on the same page when it came to humor, work life, philosophy, etc. He was very smart, organized, successful, optimistic, kind and compassionate. He was not, however, sexy, stylish, daring, or spontaneous. I knew from the beginning he was not my type, as in the past I had always been attracted to (and dated) the bad boys, who had the machismo, but were not very kind to me.

I hope someday I will find a man who is both kind and, well, a little macho too. That's just what turns me on, and I can't be without that.

Let's face it, guys who are too nice? We want them to be our best friends, NOT our lovers.

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cgr Complicated
Posted October 16, 2009

WOW..

I am in the EXACT same situation. When I met him I thought he was way too nice and not my type. However, I decided to give it a chance and figured I would start to like him more and more.. He's very nice and likes to do a lot of the same things as me, but it just doesn't feel right.
All my friends and family tell me to stay with him. He is the "perfect" guy.. but there is just something missing!.. It has been over six months now and I'm really confused. One part of me if saying "How can I give up this perfect guy" and the other part is saying " I will never be fully happy".
I don't know what to do and need advice also! lol

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sandunguera22 Engaged
Can Relate - Posted October 19, 2009

Grow up.

Score: 0
cgr Complicated
Posted October 21, 2009

I think that you need to grow up!

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dakewl1 Single
Can Relate - Posted October 16, 2009

I'm in a very similar situation. When I first met the man that I'm talking to (because we're not technically dating, but we are getting to know each other) I was very hesitant "to see what's there" when he first began expressing interest in me. I could see myself dating him down the road, but not at this point in time. I was feeling that I would rather let feelings develop naturally than have to press the issue -- of "I like you, lets date". From the way I felt towards him 4months ago, which was "no way, not interested, no thank you". Until now? I feel very different. I guess since he has stopped pressing the so called issue, I feel like, things are happening naturally. The other night we were hanging out after our band rehearsal and I felt very fond of him. I didn't make out, or anything of that nature because I'm still not absolutely sure of my feelings towards him, but I wanted to. I definitely felt we were in fact connecting. There was definitely a little bit of flirting and hand holding and running my fingers thru his hair, but no making out. It feels good. I feel like a teenager all over again.

If it turns out that you really do like this guy, your gut instinct will tell you when you are around him. The guy I'm currently talking to now, is perfect in every sense. From how thoughtful he is, to how talented a person he is, his business mind, he's very funny, handsome, tall, fit and most of all, is a family man who wants to get married one day and have kids. Of course he has flaws, but I'm overcoming those everytime we hang out. We shall see what the future holds......

Score: 0
cliu122 Taken Can't be any happier
Can Relate - Posted October 11, 2009

I once had a good friend like that, she and I were great and I did everything right but she always rejected me. The way her former best friend and my current girlfriend put it, she has a really bad taste in men so your not her type. She would always be with guys who were not particularly good looking and didn't treat her right. Eventually I got sick and tired of her giving her self to undeserving men and left. At least I realized that her best friend at the time was a much better girl over all and now we are dating and I couldn't be happier.

Score: 0
onlymeant2live Single on stand-by
Can't Relate, But Hear Ya - Posted October 10, 2009

Don't know if this will work but, perhaps you should stop thinking about him as "Mr. Perfect"? Stop calling him that in your head even if you feel like he fits the bill to the T. Just treat him, think of him as a regular guy. Stop looking at how he does things, what he does for you, etc. and just be with him. Don't get so wrapped up on the little details and just go with him. It might sound contradictory but you might be able to forge an emotional connection with him when he's not a "god" or standing on some sort of pedestal.

And heck, if that doesn't work, just think of how much you'll miss him if you two break up and how every guy will just be not as great as "John."

Score: 1
SparklingJem Single I am chaos ;-)
Can Relate - Posted October 10, 2009

There is a guy who I get on sooooo well with, he is really goodlooking, super bright and we like similar things. We're really good friends, always enjoy each others company and have great conversations, discussions and debates. My girlfriends and family think we are sleeping together and should be dating but I am totally unattracted to him. A friend of mine would say that girls always go for douchebags and nice guys are too boring. It's one of the reasons to avoid a relationship. For more reasons you can check out my article on www.stuff-about.com
http://www.stuff-about.com/2009/10/6-reasons-to-avoid-relationship.html

Score: 0

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