We can all agree that being in a relationship is tricky stuff, especially if you are trying to decide if you want to spend the rest of your life with them.
Many people will tell you that you will know “without a doubt” when the right guy comes along, but sometimes it’s not that easy.
The reason it is not easy to determine if someone could be your life partner is that many women don’t actually know what they want in a relationship, or what they need from a man.
Up to this point, most women have been dating the wrong men and are still on the hunt for what works for them. That muddies the waters and makes it difficult to see the signs when a good man comes along.
There is one thing that all women look for in a relationship though: respect. If he doesn’t respect you, you need to move on.
It is important to see signs that he respects you. Here are six ways to tell if a man really respects you because he’ll do these on a regular basis.
1) He pays attention to you
In the age of cellphones and social media, it can be hard to get and hold someone’s attention.
When someone is staring at their phone, what they are saying to you is that anything on the internet is more interesting that you are right now. Ouch. That hurts. But everyone does it to everyone else.
However, when a man is really interested in being with a woman, he’ll put his phone down and give you all of his attention.
He’ll hear you when you talk, and he’ll actually be able to carry on a conversation with you because he was listening. If he’s always scrolling through Facebook seeing what his friends are up to, he doesn’t respect you.
2) He supports you when you need him
Women are stronger than ever and are living independent lives of their own accord. That doesn’t mean they don’t want to be in meaningful relationships, and that doesn’t mean that they don’t need someone’s shoulder to cry on once in a while.
Strong women need strong men to be by their side, and in today’s society, it can be hard to find someone who will stand beside you when the going gets tough.
You’ll know your guy is special and respects you if he picks up the phone when you call, and he gives you space when you need it.
Support doesn’t always come in the form of hand-holding: sometimes women need their space, and a good man knows when to let you have it.
3) He maintains open lines of communication
Women often roll their eyes at the communication styles of men. It seems that men and women have different communication styles, yet women continually expect men to adopt the communication styles of women.
Instead of waiting around for your guy to become a woman, pay attention to how he does communicate his wants, needs, and feelings to you on a regular basis. If he isn’t a talker, does he listen to you when you talk?
If he isn’t much of a phone person, does he send you text messages to let you know he is thinking about you? If he doesn’t like crowds, does he give you all of his attention when it’s just the two of you?
Rather than criticize his communication styles, look for ways he maintains open lines of communication. If he respects you, he’ll show you by saying the right things, but also by showing you he cares.
4) He makes you and your relationship a priority in his life
Women sometimes find themselves taking a backseat to a man’s job or friends. If you have experienced this, you know that it can lead to a lot of resentment and distrust.
When you are in a relationship with a man, he should be able to express his interest in your relationship by showing you that you are a priority for him.
This doesn’t mean that he needs to bail on a meeting in the middle of the afternoon to bring you ice cream and you’d be a jerk to think it does.
It means that he makes time for you and doesn’t let other areas of his life interfere with your alone time.
5) He is kind
Good men are not just kind to you, but they are kind to others. If you are still on the fence about being with a man, watch how he treats other people.
For eons, women have looked to how a man treats his mother, but pay attention to how he treats co-workers, how he treats wait staff at the local restaurant, and how he interacts with strangers.
Kind men see people; they don’t just glaze over them in passing. If he does this to other people, he is likely to do it to you.
6) He is honest
A man who respects you will always tell you the truth, even if it is hard to do. There’s a big difference between being a jerk and being candid.
Sometimes hard conversations need to be had in relationships, and if he respects you, he’ll be able to have those conversations with you.
If he doesn’t, you’ll find him drinking beer with his buddies trying to avoid the situation.
A real man will step up even when it’s uncomfortable because he knows the relationship, and you, are worth it.
7) He is grateful for who you are
When a man is comfortable in his own skin, he won’t try to get you to change who you are.
He’ll not only make room for your awesomeness in his life, but he will encourage you at every turn to do what feels right for you.
Your strong, independent nature is not going to scare him off.
8) He is in it to win it
He will be committed to you no matter what.
You’ll be able to tell early on that this guy is the real deal when he starts talking about making plans for the future, and when you are settled into your relationship, he’ll continue to show up and be his authentic self later on.
There’s no need to hide who he is because he knows you’ll accept him for him, and that’s where he feels safe.
9) He makes you feel protected
A real man always makes his partner feel safe, whether physically or emotionally.
It’s not like you need him to take a bullet for you, but it would be nice if he did stand up for you when you are bitching about your boss.
A man that respect you gets it when will make you feel welcome, protected and safe at every turn.
10) He delivers on all fronts: mind, body, soul
Not only does he take care of your mental well-being, but he doesn’t hold back in the bedroom either.
A real man is confident in his body and wants to show you that confidence when you are alone.
He puts your own mind at ease about your body and tells you how amazing you are every day.
11) He is happy to lead or follow
A man with integrity is not threatened by a strong woman and so if you feel the need to take charge of what is going on around you, he’ll give you space to that.
But he’s perfectly happy to take charge if the situation calls for you.
There are no scorned feelings here because he knows you two are partners; it’s not a competition.
12) He can make the tough decisions
When you are feeling overwhelmed and need someone to take the reigns, he can do that.
He can pull the plug on something that is not working and you’ll respect him for it. He’ll return the favour to you when you are able.
Whether you need a shoulder to cry on or you need a kick in the pants to quit that job and go after your dream business already, he’ll be there to help you make those tough calls.
13) He will always take responsibility for what he does
If he messes up, you better believe a respectful man is going to own up to it fast.
It might be said and done and he’ll be at your doorstep telling you all about it because he doesn’t want you to find out from someone else that he dropped the ball.
If he starts a fight, he’ll admit it. If he shows up late, he won’t make excuses. He’ll just say he is sorry for keeping you waiting.
14) He speaks his mind
You can either love him or hate him for it, but a real man is going to tell you what he thinks.
He’ll also respect your thoughts and opinions so don’t think you need to hold back when grievances are being aired.
It’s a free for all when it comes to being honest and he will always be honest with you.
15) He is cool with you doing your own thing
A real man does not need to be in your life every second of the day. He knows you have things you want to achieve in life and there might not be a place for him in those areas.
That doesn’t make him feel threatened or less needed because he knows the place he has in your life.
16) He puts you first
When push comes to shove, he will always show up for you, no matter what.
He lets you know that he cares because he puts your needs ahead of his own.
It might be something as simple as driving you to work when you get a flat tire, despite making himself late in the process.
He’s ready to give it all up to make you happy, and that’s how you know that you’ve got yourself a real man.
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