While we'd like to think of ourselves as equal-opportunity daters who give every prospect a fair chance, we've all had superficial reasons for rejecting people at some point. And there's nothing wrong with that. If people got into relationships on merit, with the most kind and compassionate of us getting our first pick, the world would look very different. We shouldn't feel bad about our seemingly arbitrary dating decisions. They do, however, make funny stories.
After seeing a study in PLOS One revealing that 27 percent of women had ended relationships at least partially due to "inadequate" penis size, I wondered what other things were some people's deal breakers. That statistic seemed crazy to me, especially because a 2014 report from UCLA and Cal State LA found that 84 percent of women in relationships are fine with their partner's size, but I guess we all have our thing. So, I asked 15 people to reveal what their "things" were. And the moral of the story is... get a better haircut and wear more conventional shoes? Practice your spelling and read up on pop culture? Lord knows. Do with this information what you will.
I hereby present to you the most superficial reasons people have broken up with people or decided not to date them in the first place.
1. Lack Of Pop Culture Knowledge
"I chose not to date several men because they didn't know who Woody Allen was." — Colette, 25
2. Poor Writing Skills
"She was an atrocious speller." — Bob, 43
3. Inappropriate Footwear (But Only Initially)
"Black Adidas high tops at a party... and I ended up marrying him!" — Nancy, 42
4. Irritating Mannerisms
"I stopped seeing a guy because his laugh made me want to punch him in the face. I couldn't tell whether he was laughing or crying." — Lindsey, 26
5. A Bad Haircut
"Capitalist; rat tail." — Cassandra, 22
"Their favorite haircut looked awful on them. Seriously awful. He refused to listen to my hair suggestions and I just wasn't as attracted to him with the bad hair so... buhbye!" — Jessica, 25
6. Bad Taste
"He had the worst taste in music." — Christy, 28
"I broke up with a guy because his favorite movie was The Fountain and it seemed incredibly disturbed when he made me watch it. Also, I broke up with a guy because he tried to force me to watch Massive Boob Porn and it was super gross." — Colette, 25
7. Height
"1. Too short. 2. Told raunchy jokes. 3. Ordered a tequila shot at lunch. 4. Had a framed picture of Gandolf in his living room." — Amy, 25
"1. Republican. 2. Too short. 3. No books in their place or hate their books." — Sue, who has been married for 20 years to a "tall democratic fellow writer who has great books"
8. Unappealing Eyewear
"He wore transition lenses." — Elizabeth, 23
9. Invasion Of Personal Space
"It was maybe our second or third date, and I found her folding my underwear in my bedroom. Too soon." — Anonymous, 31
10. Smoking
"1. They smoke cigarettes. I can't stand the idea of making out with someone who tastes like an ashtray. 2. They are younger than me. It's silly but I need a guy who is mature and i don't get that from younger fellas." — Leah, 26
11. Poor Hygiene
"I was moving, he was professing his undying love for me in the car after we went out to dinner — and I was about to kiss him for the first time/make out, but I saw one lone nose hair sticking out past his nostril and I just couldn't do it. He got a peck on the cheek and told I had to go home and pack." — Kate, 30
12. Disappointing Sexual Performance
"They had a majorly hard time with erectile dysfunction. I dated one guy for years with E.D. but there were ways to work around it. This guy I dated briefly would go limp at the sight of a condom and still tried to have sex that way (it didn't really work). It was... unfortunate." — Julian, 31
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