When it comes to romance, every girl goes through a “bad boy” phase. The smooth charm, the rugged good looks, the way he clearly knows how to handle the ladies–somehow, bad boys have their draw. What girl doesn’t want to wrap her arms around her guy, wearing his leather jacket, driving through the highways on his motorcycle?
Well, while bad boys certainly have their appeal, they tend to be heartbreakers. Some of them are even more so than others, so here are the five types of bad boys that you should avoid dating, no matter how much that crooked smile makes your heart skip a beat.
1. The guy who thinks the whole world is against him
Sometimes, your bad boy might come with the attitude that the entire world hates him. He thinks everyone is out to get him, and that it’s him against the world. He thinks his bad boy ways are so unique that the world hates him just for being different. The reality is that no one hates him; people just wish that he would grow up, ditch the paranoia, and realize that deep down, he doesn’t need all of the sympathy that he’s trying to get with his attitude.
2. The guy who only wants sex
Unless you are only in it for the sex as well, don’t bother with these bad boys. He became this guy because he knows how to manipulate women to get what he wants from them. You think you can change him? So did the last six girls he slept with. If you aren’t in it for the same reasons he is, sex and sex alone, you’re just going to wind up brokenhearted when you realize he isn’t going to change for you.
3. The control freak
A guy who constantly tells you how to dress, who your friends are, what you are or aren’t allowed to do, he’s not a bad boy, he’s just a jerk. Control freaks don’t make good companions, and their behavior tends to get worse the longer you stay with them. So if you suspect you’ve got a date with one, run far away instead.
4. The guy who wants to keep his options open
You’re okay with not labeling the relationship yet, you’re not sure if you’re ready to call him your boyfriend yet yourself. But if you’ve been dating for a long time already and you still can’t seem to sit him down for “the talk” about exclusivity, it’s time to face the facts. He’s not just taking his time to figure out what he wants; he already knows: he doesn’t want to be in a relationship with you, and he has no intentions to stop playing the field.
5. The egomaniac
This guy thinks he’s the greatest thing since sliced bread, and he’s not about to let you forget it anytime soon. While it may not bother you at the start of the relationship–during the honeymoon phase, you think he’s the greatest thing ever, too–once the new relationship high wears off, you’re going to get pretty sick of his attitude pretty quickly. In his eyes, you could never live up to his own greatness, and you will always be second best and of second-most importance to him.
Before you go getting yourself involved with a bad boy of any variety, the key thing to remember is this: he’s probably not going to change for you. Time and time again, women have tried to convert bad boys into being good guys just for them, but most of them end up with a broken heart. The bottom line is that if you can’t see a future with the guy without him changing, he’s not worth wasting your present on.