My first experiences with dating were plagued with a mean case of low standards. As someone who didn’t grow up with a male figure in the household, I lacked experience with men. All I knew was that instinctually men and women couldn’t be that much different. Just like I would vet my friendships, all I wanted from a partner was someone who was reliably nice. That was my only prerequisite! This set me up to disregard everything else about the person I selected. I ended up not knowing what I was attracted to and settled for people who had major character flaws.
After several failed relationships and an increase in age, I was desperate to figure out where I was going wrong. To identify my likes and dislikes, I thought about the differences between each of my partners and used that information to identify my likes and dislikes. During a conversation with my single friend, we made a list of what we wanted in a partner. And voila! There you have it…I finally had greater standards!
My recommendations: Make a list of your standards and refer to it enough that you will never find yourself settling for a situation that is not ideal for you. Yes, life is a compromise but what are some things that you are not willing to compromise on? Discover the surprising truths and challenges of dating with low standards, and learn how to build healthier relationships for long-term happiness.
