Dating is absolutely what you make it. You can blame the 21st century, you can blame your past relationships, you can blame your parents; you can blame anybody and everybody if you are that determined to have your ego come out unscathed.

Dating should not be about adjusting every facet of your personality to better suit your new partner. It definitely shouldn't be allowing yourself to be treated like shit, and it should never be the end of your freedom... nor his. Dating isn't supposed to be bending over backwards just to prove that you can, and are fully willing to at the drop of a hat. Believe it or not... dating is supposed to be enjoyable.

I have never understood the allure of the "bad boy". I interpret that literally, and really see them for the BAD boys they are. I don't know why my gender chooses to glorify losers and subject themselves to "relationships" with these fucking douche canoes, but I can say this: you date a jerk and he treats you like shit... good riddance. Better get the blame-game going, because lord knows it's not YOUR fault for putting up with it. To be fair, it probably isn't your fault that he's a dickhead- the fault lies with you when you allow it to govern your relationship and thus make it acceptable.

There is nothing enticing nor promising about dating an asshole. Yay, you managed to land a guy that has the infamous reputation of "asshole", says he is an asshole, acts like an asshole, and somehow... you expect him to be a tiny, quivering, newborn bunny in your hands: soft, gentle, vulnerable. Get a fucking grip. Maybe HIS problems CAN be attributed to the 21st century, previous relationships, blah blah blah. Doesn't mean you need to stick around and be the recipient of said problems.

If you got into a relationship to be somebody's enabler, have at it. The way I see it, anybody stupid enough to date a self-proclaimed asshole/bad boy/fucking idiot probably deserves him. And the girls that deliberately seek them out... get your respective heads checked. It is not a "challenge" to date an asshole, it is abuse- to yourself.

Call me crazy, but maturity and intelligence go so much further than tattoos and spiffy motorcycles. Call me crazy, but a man that doesn't settle for every passing vagina is probably going to treat you better than a man that would fuck an oak tree. Call me crazy, but there is absolutely nothing attractive about a man with no goals, no self-respect, no perseverance, no drive. Call me crazy, but rewarding a man that makes you feel unworthy isn't healthy, and only perpetuates the problem. Call me crazy, but I love "nice guys" with their heads on straight.

There comes a point when the girls that are involved with these bad seeds turn into a shadow of their former selves. They don't know who they are anymore... they just know that if they aren't good enough for a man of such low caliber that there is no way in hell they could get anything better- so why bother? Just try to appease the asshole, and maybe someday he will deem you worthy.

I am in no way a feminist or lesbian or any of the other fun names you can stick in there. I am just sick of seeing girls I know fall time and time again for the worst of the worst. Equally frustrating is seeing some of the brightest, best girls I know demeaning themselves and essentially taking on charity cases for boyfriends. If I could offer any advice to my fellow females, it would be this: if he acts like an asshole, treat him like an asshole.

Simple as that.