The passion of a new relationship can make it hard to tell if your partner is a decent guy or not. After all, nearly everyone can muster the energy to seem like a catch when you’re just getting to know them.
Let’s face it, we all know the signs that he’s a jerk—we’ve been there (even though we wish we hadn’t). That said, here are some signs that you’ve landed a truly good guy. If he does several of these things, you’d do well to hold onto him.
1. You get into an argument and resolve the difference.
Having a nasty fighter for a boyfriend is no fun. You’ll find yourself walking on eggshells just so that you can avoid his temper.
However, if you can disagree on something and learn more about each other in the process, you’ve got a good thing going. Just make sure that you fight fair too.
2. He compromises to fulfill your needs.
If he’s willing to go along with you to yoga class, the farmer’s market, and the fabric store, he’s probably super into you. Finding someone who enjoys making you happy by doing the things you want to do is rare.
Many guys will do these things at the beginning of a relationship, but as time goes on, they’ll do anything they can to get out of tagging along. If your guy accompanies you wherever you want to go with the same enthusiasm as when you first met, you’ve found a good one.
3. You act like a jerk, and he forgives you.
We all have bad days. Sometimes we say hurtful or embarrassing things on those days.
If he sees you at your worst and sticks around, he really cares about you. Plus, he’s also mature enough to realize you were having a weak moment. He realizes that your actions in the heat of the moment don’t define your character. Finding someone who can recognize that is a big deal.
4. He never plays games.
Finding a guy that’s reliable, keeps his word, and treats you in a straight-forward manner is few and far between. Too many people play mind games, and dating them can be exhausting.
It’s easier to get to know someone who doesn’t mess around. Quite frankly, you’ll have a deeper relationship with him than you ever could with someone less mature.
5. He doesn’t judge you for your past.
We’ve all got skeletons in the closet. How someone reacts to those skeletons tells you a lot about them. Many people don’t do well finding out that their partner has an unsavory history.
If you can bare your painful secrets to him and he supports you, he’s worth keeping around. A guy like that knows that life doesn’t always go perfectly, and it’ll be easy to weather the storm with him.
There’s no such thing as a perfect guy. However, there are men to avoid. If your partner does most of the things on the list above, you’ve got a keeper.