I respect myself, so I won’t hesitate to speak up for myself when a guy tries to pull any BS on me because I know I deserve better. That shouldn’t be a bad thing, but it’s made my dating life much harder. Just because I stand up for myself and don’t allow myself to get walked all over doesn’t mean I’m not worth pursuing a relationship with — WTF?
1. IT’S A GOOD QUALITY TO HAVE — IT MEANS I’M NOT A DOORMAT.
If you want to a date a girl that you can walk all over, I’m not her (and you probably shouldn’t be in a relationship at all until you get over that). I’m proud of myself for having a backbone and more guys need to realize that a strong woman who doesn’t take crap isn’t a bad thing — it’s actually super sexy.
2. I DON’T PICK ON GUYS — ONLY THE PLAYERS WHO DESERVE IT.
It’s not as if I go around constantly pointing out the flaws of every guy I meet; I only call guys out guys who are acting like players. I appreciate and make a point to notice the good guy behaviors as well, so if you treat me well, I’m going to treat you even better. If you’re afraid of being put in your place by me, it’s a clear indication that you’re probably doing something shady, so knock it off and we won’t have a problem.
3. I HAVE A RIGHT TO SAY WHAT UPSETS ME.
I have every right to stand up for myself when someone attempts to drag me down or hurt my feelings. I’m s grown woman and I’m not going to stand idle while someone treats me like crap or can’t date me like a grown ass man. I won’t settle for BS and I shouldn’t have to.
4. THE MENTALITY THAT STRONG WOMEN ARE BITCHES NEEDS TO DIE.
I’m sick of the assumptions that strong and opinionated women are bitches who need to learn to shut up. I don’t hate men, I’m not angry 24/7, I just want to be treated with respect. I was given my voice for a reason and I won’t pipe down just because it makes you uncomfortable. I’m a strong woman and proud of it. You should be too.
5. WHEN YOU GET TO KNOW ME, I’M INCREDIBLY SWEET.
There’s a lot more to me than the assertive, outspoken woman you meet upfront. If you treat me well and get to know me on other levels, I’m genuinely sweet and affectionate and I’ll go out of my way to make you feel amazing and cared for. The woman you get out of me is entirely dependent on what kind of man you are in my company. You decide how this goes just as much as I do.
6. WHY DO SO MANY GUYS LACK BALLS THESE DAYS?
It seems like so many guys these days lack the manliness they used to posses decades ago. Men aren’t really men anymore and they allow women to intimidate them rather than make efforts to rise up to our level and become better men. Calling guys out for bad treatment shouldn’t be intimidating unless you’re the type of guy who likes to get away with treating women like crap — in which case, SEE YA!
7. STRONG WOMEN SHOULD BE ADMIRED, NOT AVOIDED.
I fought hard to be who I am and to rise above the stereotypes that women are weak and submissive and should stay that way in a man’s company. I won’t be the type of girlfriend who just shuts up and deals with it, and you should see this is as an amazing quality to have in a partner. If you don’t, we’ll never work out.
8. BEING WITH A WOMAN WHO CAN HOLD HER OWN IS BETTER IN THE LONG RUN.
It might not always be smooth sailing between us, but I promise I’ll always challenge you in positive ways too. I’ll push you to be a better person, to continue to learn and grow, and I hope you’ll do the same for me. Having a life partner like that by your side means that when we face challenges as a couple, I’ll be another strong voice in your corner.
9. I’M PROUD FOR STANDING UP FOR MYSELF.
I’ll never apologize or feel guilty for standing up for myself because the way I see it, if I accept crappy treatment, I’ll end up in a terrible relationship and that’s the last thing I want. I have standards for myself because I want to be happy and fulfilled with whoever I end up with.
10. I’M LOOKING FOR A GUY WHO’S JUST AS STRONG AS I AM.
If you’re the type of guy who treats me like crap to make yourself feel bigger, then you’re definitely not the type of guy I’m looking for. Real men respect their partners and support them emotionally — they don’t try to deliberately make them feel like garbage because they’re insecure.
11. I WON’T APOLOGIZE FOR BEING MYSELF.
This is who I am and like I said, I shouldn’t have to change myself just to appeal to a larger amount of guys or to be more dateable. I’m an amazing woman and there’s a lot more to me than the fact that I don’t stand for BS treatment from guys.
By Andrea Wesley for Bolde